Earthen pitchers throw cold water on iceboxes

The mercury levels have been soaring, marking the advent of summer in Bangalore. And along with the scorching heat, the sale of earthen pitchers has also shot up. Stocking up water bottles in refrigerators is passe; Bangaloreans seem to have taken a liking to the humble earthen pitcher that keeps water naturally cool and refreshing.

People find pitchers most effective in cooling water. And their rising demand of late proved the point. “The demand for earthen pots has shot up. Many prefer earthen pots since they keep water cool and fresh.  I’ve sold over 70 earthen pitchers this week,” said Ganesh Kumar, a vendor who sells earthen pots on Old Madras Road.

Doctors say it is not advisable for people to drink water straight out of the refrigerator. “It is better to mix refrigerated water with normal water and drink, or to keep the cold water out in room temperature for some time before consuming it. Otherwise, the body reacts to the cold water leading to an upper respiratory track infection. Sore throat and fever are common during summer and intake of direct refrigerated water after getting exposed to the afternoon sun adds to the problem,” said Dr Aravind Jagadish, consultant, general medicine, Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital.

“We sell at least 15 pots a day. People primarily demand  pitchers that can hold eight litres, 12 litres, and even 15 litres of water. The demand is expected to go up in May,” said G Rajashekar, master potter at Creative Clay, a pottery shop at New Pottery Town.

While the demand so far has been from households, the shop also has few orders from corporate offices. “Clay pots taken for office use are of bigger size that can hold 40 to 60 litres. The companies specify the size, and we deliver made-to-order pieces,” he said. The cost of these pitchers starts from `250 and go up depending on the size.

It’s quite amusing to see Bangaloreans vouching for the age-old earthen pot, while refrigerators with latest cooling technology are available in the market. “We cannot give children cold water. In such cases earthen pots are a good option. Naturally cooled water doesn’t cause any harm. It is rather refreshing,” said 28-year old Neha Jaiswal, who started using an earthen pitcher this week.

At a time, when refrigerator was not a household name, people used to drink from earthen pots to quench their summer thirst.

“During my childhood, every summer would see a new pitcher at home. It is undoubtedly a healthy way of drinking cool water. And this time, as the Met department forecast one of the hottest summers for the city, at least a soothing glass of water is a must for everyone,” said a 42-year old Vivek Nair, who was seen buying a clay pot.