Jammu, May 19: With the temperature hovering around 40 degree Celsius in Jammu and its adjoining areas, demand of earthen pots is also increasing with each passing day. Shops and vendors selling pots in various parts of city, which generally remain deserted, are observing heavy increase in the customers these days.
 The buyers of earthen pots are not only among those who can’t afford expensive electronic devises or villagers but also among urban people buying earthen pots for the sake of health.
  Bihari Sharma, a resident of Purani Mandi said, “Our family members generally avoid refrigerator water for drinking and even doctor advised us to avoid the same”. His family use to buy a new earthen pot during every summer season as the water gets cool much better and fast in new earthen pots in comparison to older.
 He added that though earthen pots were used for cooling water in summers, this practice is now replaced with the advent of refrigerators but the earthen pots are still important for those who can’t afford the expensive gadget and even for many who have health problems with refrigerator water.
 It is pertinent to mention here that scarcely spotted shops in city selling earthen pots these days are observing heavy rush of customers from both rural and urban populace. Also, rural people from villages adjoining Jammu have to come to Jammu to buy the earthen pots as such shops have disappeared from villages.
 The shopkeeper while explaining the cooling of water in earthen pot said that the cooling process works on evaporation principle. Water seeps from mini-pores in pot and evaporates, thus making the water inside cooler than the outside temperature. Hence it is used only during summers and not in winters. He further added, “The cost of pottery depends upon the size of pot and ranges from Rs 50 to Rs 200”.
  Medical expert Dr Arun Sharma said, “Storing of water in an earthen pot is the best method. Earthen pot not only makes the water cool during summers but also provides healing elements of Earth. More importantly the earthen pot transfers the coolness to the water according to the climatic conditions”.
 Dr Arun added that Tonsils in throat get infected easily with refrigerator water. Asthma, Allergy, Sinusitis, Cough and burning sensation in stomach can be cured to a great extent by avoiding fridge water”.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 IST