EARTHEN POTS (Matkas, Kundi pots)

EARTHEN POTS (Matkas, Kundi pots)

Overview:

So most of us just fill bottles of water and store it in the refrigerator and drink it after a while. Today we are going to give to a better deal - earthen pots…A wonderful way to cool drinking water and without consuming any electricity whatsoever.

Called “Matka” in Hindi, earthen pots are the most effective way to cool water to just the right temperature. Unlike refrigerators which over-cool water, the pots cool them just right.

How does an earthen pot cool water?

Evaporative Cooling

Assuming the earthenware pot absorbs some of the water in it (which it will if it is not sealed with a glaze or other coating), then the outside of the pot will be slightly moistened. As this moisture on the pot evaporates, the temperature of the pot is reduced due to evaporative cooling (same way sweat cools the body). This cooling effect will keep the temperature of the pot lower then it would otherwise be. This effect will only work as long as the outside of the pot is kept moist.

Livelihood, education and environment:

• Three families living together ( Father and mother and their two sons along with their wives and children)
• Total number of family members Nine
• Number of members working on the pots three, father and the two sons.
• Women are good with numbers and they can read as well .
• Each morning they get up at 6 am.
• They take care of the day to day routines.
• No mode of transport.
• Make kundi (earthen pots) for a living.
• Food is prepared on the Chula ( a small fire place which they also use wood )
• They use steel utensils for cooking.
• They make roti’s daily and their favorite food is gawar.

Education:

• Both children in one family are going to school (both boys). There is a sense of pride having 2 kids both boys.
• One is studying in the 4^th std while the other is studying in the 1^st std
• The school is very close to their home.
• The women in the family are good with numbers and can read, however are not educated.
• The men haven’t been formally educated either.
• However they are aware of their trade, How to count (mostly in gujarati)
• They are aware of how to receive calls on the phone, however they are a little hesitant while dialing numbers, because they seldom make calls.

Environment:

• They live together yet separately. ( there is a partition in the house that gives each family their space.)
• They live a very simple life. Minimalistic. Don’t have any furniture or any electronic gadgets apart from an outdated TV which doesn’t receive any signals.
• They live in a sturdy house and do have other infrastructure which is mainly used for work.
• Food is prepared on the Chula ( a small fire place which they also use wood )
• They use steel utensils for cooking.
• They make roti’s daily and their favorite food is gawar.
• Schools for the children are located nearby.
• There are four doctors in the village and two temples.

Common source Of income:

• They share a common source of income that comes from making and selling Kundi pots
• They do this for 8 months a year.
• The other 4 months they spend searching for any labor work.

Communication Pattern:

• They communicate mostly in gujarati, but can also speak in hindi (useful when talking to us).
• They are able to understand hand gestures.
• Communication between vendors (Vapari) and suppliers takes place in gujarati.
• The language used to communicate with one another is also gujarati.

Common resources:

• They all use the same resources (Built by them)
• Get the raw material from the same vendor.

Common pattern:

• It is a seasonal vocation and is carried out after the monsoons for 8 months.
• The off season is used to do any labor that can bring some additional income to the family.
• They worship Chandki ma (Mother Earth).
• Have been doing this for 3 generations.