By Arunangshu Mukherjee & Anandajit Goswami
The utilization of water pots in India represents a tangible intersection of culture, necessity, and environmental adaptation, revealing a rich tapestry of human ingenuity in response to water acquisition, storage, and transport challenges.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the use of water pots in the Indian subcontinent dates back millennia, with early examples crafted from rudimentary materials like clay and gourds showcasing the resourcefulness of ancient communities in harnessing available resources for survival. Over time, the design and construction of water pots evolved, reflecting regional variations in material availability, climate conditions, and cultural practices, thereby underscoring the adaptive capacity of these humble vessels in meeting diverse needs across the landscape. The significance of water pots extends beyond their utilitarian function, as they often hold deep cultural and symbolic meaning within Indian society, embodying notions of purity, sustenance, and community well-being, thus serving as potent symbols of life's essential elements.
In India, where water scarcity poses a persistent challenge, water pots have played a crucial role in enabling communities to thrive in harsh environments by providing a means to collect and conserve precious water resources, thereby mitigating the impacts of drought and ensuring access to potable water for daily needs. Traditional water harvesting techniques, such as rainwater harvesting and well construction, are often coupled with water pots for storage and distribution, forming an integrated system that promotes water security at the household and community levels.
The craftsmanship in creating water pots is often passed down through generations, with artisans employing time-honouredtechniques to mold fire clay into durable and aesthetically pleasing vessels, thereby preserving a valuable aspect of intangible cultural heritage. Moreover, using locally sourced materials in water pot construction contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing reliance on external resources and minimizing transportation costs, aligning with ecological conservation principles.
The wisdom of our ancestors, who captured rainwater using old buckets and wooden barrels, is an idea worth revisiting. Ancient civilizations developed efficient strategies that we can still learn from. The integration of water pots into daily life is deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of rural communities, where women often bear the responsibility of fetching water from distant sources, carrying the heavy pots on their heads or hips, and traversing long distances to secure this essential resource for their families.
The design of water pots, with their rounded shapes and narrow mouths, facilitates ease of carrying and minimizes water spillage, reflecting an intimate understanding of ergonomics and fluid dynamics. Social structures and community bonds are often reinforced through the shared practice of water collection, with women gathering at wells or water sources to exchange news, share stories, and support one another in their daily tasks, fostering a sense of solidarity and collective identity. Furthermore, the use of water pots in religious rituals and ceremonies underscores their symbolic significance, with water from sacred rivers, ponds or springs stored in specially decorated pots and used for purification, ablution, and other ceremonial purposes, thereby imbuing these vessels with spiritual meaning and cultural reverence.
In India, different types of water pots are used for various occasions, each serving a specific purpose. The pots used for drinking water differ from those used in religious rituals. Clay pots used during funerals are distinct from those employed in auspicious ceremonies. Pots with necks typically have smaller openings compared to those without necks. The style of carrying these pots varies accordingly. Necked pots are generally held at the waist, supported by a hand around the neck. In contrast, pots without necks are typically carried on the head, with a hand supporting the mouth. The water pots of India are deeply rooted in the country's cultural and practical traditions, many of which date back to the Indus Valley Civilization.
The application of clay pots as a part of water conservation techniques within India has a spatial and temporal dimension. Across states, the usage of clay pots for water conservation and water applications for different cultural rights and customs, rituals flows very naturally within the Indian context. A woman from Rajasthan holds a very different clay pot for conserving water in comparison to a woman from West Bengal. This is because the weather, the distance travelled, and the cultural practices of Rajasthan are very different from West Bengal. Essentially, in this context, therefore, water conservation using a clay pot becomes an outcome of the geographical terrain and cultural practices of the place and location.
There are cultural references of early age water conservation techniques using clay pots even during Indus Valley Civilisation (3000-1500 BCE), Vedic and Post Vedic Periods (1500-500 BCE) before in the Medieval India during 500-1800 CE different water conservation structures other than clay pots flourished in Gujarat and Rajasthan with regional innovations. However, water conservation using a clay earthen pot has a long cultural history in Africa, which originated 4000 years ago. With a promotion of these pots, the demand for potters can rise too, leading to a preservation of cultural heritage across the states of India. For instance, preservation of the cultural tradition of water saving and conservation through pots can sustain Kumbhars.
Adopting strategies for economizing water usage will be crucial in addressing intensifying global water scarcity. The role of water pots as a part of that strategy will be of paramount importance in the Indian rural context by contextualizing it with the cultural fabric of the location. A time has come to create a water preservation, conservation, and security plan by internalizing the cultural knowledge of water pots and their impact on water conservation in India through a digital repository for future policy-making, addressing water security in India.
(Arunangshu Mukherjee is Professor, Director, CAWTM, MRIIRS and Anandajit Goswami is Professor, Research Director, MRIIRS, Visiting Fellow, ACPET, Ashoka University, Honorary Professor, IMPRI. Views are personal.)
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