Elixir of Earth- Drinking Water from the Matka

Matki or Matka is a Hindi word used for earthen pot.

It is used all over the Indian subcontinent as a home water storage cooler. It has been used since ancient times and can be found in most Indian households even today. With the summer season approaching let us delve and understand more about Matka - the very basic but highly effective of the household utensils.

This blog is first in the series of blogs about Indian traditional kitchen utensils

The Matka making process is long one and usually takes about 8 to 10 days to get the finished earthen pot. The clay is treasure trove of nutrients and minerals. Our ancestors knew how to harness its benefit’s the right way. That’s why in ancient times many cooking utensils were also made from clay. To this day, many Indian households swear by the clay pot and prefer the water cooled in the matka to any refrigerated beverage. Water stored in matkas or surahis (another beautifully crafted earthen pot) is cooled at about 10⁰C and 14⁰C and has a refreshing flavour. The temperature of the water - not too warm and not too chilled - makes it ideal for drinking.

Scientifically speaking, the clay used in making earthen pot is alkaline in nature and when its interacts with acidic water or impure water it neutralises the pH levels making it easy to digest. Regular consumption of earthen pot water in summer season is effective against acidity and other gastronomic pain.

Before we talk about the other health benefits of drinking water from earthen pot let us understand the cooling process and how it works!

The cooling works on evaporation principle. The capillary action causes water to evaporate from mini pores in the pot taking the heat from the water inside, thus making the water inside cooler than the outside temperature. Hence it is used only during summer and not in winter.

There are many benefits of drinking water from a matka and the number one benefit is a natural coolant as it is cooled using the natural evaporation method.

The clay used for crafting pots is replete with minerals and electromagnetic energy. When water is stored in the pot, the clay charges the water with minerals and electromagnetic energy which in turn transfers the healing powers of the earth to benefit you and your body.

Water stored in plastic containers usually contain damaging chemicals like BCA by spin all day in plastic that cling onto water molecules on and pose a health hazard.

The water turns alkaline in nature when stored in earthen pot or Mukta and it is a known fact that diseases thrive in acidic environment and since clay is naturally alkaline the water and stored in it takes the properties of the clay and becomes alkaline for drinking.

It is also believed that water from earthen pot boost metabolism in the body. Clay pot water helps maintain the body glucose in the correct amount and prevents the body from sun stroke/heat stroke during the summer season. It is suggested to stock fresh water every day in the pot for effective results.

With time lot of new varieties of pots have come into market the most effective ones are ones which are hand crafted and clay rich with Mica particles in it and since mica is a natural insulator it keeps the water cooler for a longer period of time.

Drinking water from a clay pot can also help maintain a level of testosterone in your body as a post to plastic which in turn received the amount of testosterone in our body clean water is natural that really chilled and also help recover metabolism and virility.

More about Matka:

Of course there are some basic precautions and good practices to be followed when using Matka at home. Find it here: http://blogs.ezymeds.com/earthen-pot/

Interesting facts about the Matka- The Matka man from Delhi- read here: https://www.readersdigest.co.in/true-stories/story-alag-natarajan-delhis-water-man-124949