Trend of earthen water pitchers persists in twin cities

Traditionalists, doctors cite numerous benefits of clay pots for keeping water

ISLAMABAD: The trend of using clay pots, locally called matka, persists in many households of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

With increasing awareness about the benefits of earthen pitchers, more and more people are using clay pots for storing water. People in the twin are returning to their tradition methods of keeping drinking water, which has helped bring a boom in sale of clay pots.  The earth is rich in various vitamins and minerals. The earthen pots have the same properties which the earth consists of.

People have used clay pots for centuries, but the trend subsided with the easy availability of refrigerators.

Even now some households follow this ritual, and prefer keeping water in these pots instead of using refrigerators. This is because these pots contain natural goodness and other health promoting qualities.

This method had been used by our ancestors for a very long time until the modern-day water coolers replaced them. Another significance of using clay pots is that they are porous in nature meaning that they help in keeping the water cool while they also possess the ability to keep water temperature in accordance with the climate.

Further, the vendors in Islamabad purchase clay-made pottery from rural areas such as Barakahu, Syed Pur village, Malpur village, Faizabad and umhar Gali, Rawalpindi while they are sold in markets such as Abpara and Karachi Company.

Further, Dr Waqar ahmed said that clay was alkaline in nature  and  helped to maintain the Ph balance in our bodies. He added that the human body was acidic in nature and alkaline clay reacted with the acidic water hence creating a proper pH balance.

Since clay is alkaline in nature it helps to maintain the Ph balance in our bodies, since the human body is known to be acidic in nature. Alkaline clay then reacts with the acidic water hence creating a proper pH balance. Hence, acidity and gastronomic pains are relieved.

Drinking from an earthen pot can boost metabolism without dangerous chemicals like BPA which can be found in plastic bottles and containers. This further helps in keeping testosterone levels balanced, as opposed to plastic, which in turn brings down body testosterone levels. The minerals present also help to improve digestion.

He said, therefore, gastrointestinal diseases were prevented in the body. He said that storing water in clay-pitchers resulted in numerous health benefits.

He added that drinking water from clay pitchers helped improved digestion and metabolism in the body while it also prevented transfer of harmful chemicals in the body, Dr.Waqar said.

He said that using plastic bottles or other material increased risk of transfer of harmful chemicals like BPA.

Dr. Waqar said that water stored in earthen pots also helped in maintaining testosterone levels in human body.

Any form of clay that has been through the kiln and glazed is bound to resist heat. So, while your hot food will remain hot on top of the plate, if you're holding the plate from the bottom, it's not going to be as hot as a steel or a plastic plate.

The clay pots help to cool the water naturally. The earthen pots or clay pots work on the principle of vaporization. In the clay pots, the heat in the water gets removed from the water and turns into gas. This gas further moves away. The clay pot has small pores that help to make this process happen. It is not an artificial way like refrigeration.

Clay pots are porous in nature which helps in cooling water. These pots will not just give you cool water to drink but, will also provide you with the healing attributes of the earth. Most significantly, clay pots possess the ability to chill water in accordance with the climate. Another advantage is that caly pots are cheap.

The water stored in an earthen pot is gentle on the throat. It is an ideal drink for people suffering from cough or cold. It is the best option for people suffering from respiratory diseases during the summer, since water from refrigerator or freezer can be too cold to consume and the water that's been kept outside in plastic bottles is too warm. The water out of clay pot is perfectly chilled rich in earthy goodness to quench your thirst.

Drinking water from an earthen pot prevents sun strokes in summer. It provides the body with necessary nutrients and vitamins to maintain the body glucose and prevents heat strokes. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2019.