Lota (vessel)

A lota (लोटा; ଲୋଟା/ନୋଟା; لوٹا) is a small, spouted, and rounded vessel that has been used in the Indian subcontinent since the 2nd millennium BCE or earlier. The design itself serves multiple purposes; a copper lota is commonly used in Indian religious ceremonies, such as yajna during puja, for wedding rituals, and other sacred traditions. It is also used for serving water and liquor. According to the ancient Indian/Hindu-origin traditional medicine system of ayurveda, drinking water stored in the copper lota has health and nutritional benefits.

The vessel's regional variations include the bodna (বদনা) in Bengal, the kindi in Kerala, and the Karuwa in Nepal.

History
The earliest known examples of lota and kindi in ancient India are from the Chalcolithic period, notably in the Savalda Culture and two well-preserved examples from the pottery of the Jorwe Culture, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. Highly decorative spouted vases with floral motifs are also known from Chandraketugarh, dating back to around the 2nd century BC or the 1st century CE.

Regional variations
In West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh, the term bôdnā (বদনা) describes spouted (teapot-like) vessels, and the vessels used for puja are called ghôt or ghôti, while lotā is used for cleansing mugs. In Odisha, vessels without the spout is also known as lota, while spout vessel is known as Jeri, used for prayer rituals and serving liquor. They are also known as Karwa, Jharis and Achaman Jharis (utensils with spouts) in Hindi Belt and Gujarat in northern and western India, used for prayer rituals. It is also known as Mooku sombu and Pal Kindi used as milk feeder for babies in southern parts of India. In Nepal, it is known as Karuwa which is used for religious rituals, serving water and liquor.

Reception
American designers Charles and Ray Eames in their The India Report expressed a great admiration for the lota, saying about its design, "Of all the objects we have seen and admired during our visit to India, the Lota, that simple vessel of everyday use, stands out as perhaps the greatest, the most beautiful."

Idioms and literature
In some parts of the Indian subcontinent, the use of the phrase "bependi ka lota" (a "lota without a base") is colloquially used to refer to a person who may switch their loyalties. This comes from the observation that a spherical lota without a base tends to roll over in unpredictable directions when kept on uneven ground. The neologism "lotacracy" was coined in Pakistan to describe politicians who switch parties for their convenience.

Ayurveda
According to the ancient Indian/Hindu-origin traditional medicine system of ayurveda, drinking water stored in the copper lota has health and nutritional benefits. It is used for jala neti, a traditional ayurvedic and yogic practice that is used for cleansing the nose and sinus passages through nasal irrigation.

Sacred ceremonies
In the Indian-origin religions, the lota is a multi-purpose utensil. It is also used in the sacred rituals, such as yajna, puja, for wedding rituals, and other sacred ceremonies.

Cleansing
Throughout the Indian subcontinent, the lota is commonly used to assist with hygiene, such as during baths or anal cleansing.

In Bengali, the term lotā is used for bath mugs.