Hyderabad: India has an array of equipment to deliver cool water to people. However, timeless earthen pots appear everywhere in the city at the onset of summer. They are favoured by many people for their ability to provide refreshingly cool water, even in the age of refrigeration.
It is traditionally believed that water stored in an earthen pot is good for health. They also find a social purpose, offering hydration to those passing by, often maintained by philanthropic-minded people.
The cooling process in earthen pots works through evaporative cooling. Capillary action causes water to evaporate from the tiny-pores in the pot, making the water inside cooler than the outside temperature and makes it a perfect choice to provide cool water to people in India.
Earthen pots, which were in use for the last 20,000 years around the world, find soaring demand in the summer, drawing people to places like Pot Market near Monda Market in Secunderabad.
While most buy pots for their traditional benefits, some like Rizwana Begum and Rafiya opt for them as they accommodate their joint families' thirst-quenching needs. They say new pots cool water swiftly.
With temperatures soaring, vendors are rejoicing at rising sales. N. Kumari, a vendor on the Raj Reddy Marg in Basheerbagh, said
