- Lota (vessel)
Lota (
Urdu : لوٹا,Hindi : लोटा) is anUrdu andHindi word for a small, usually spherical water vessel of brass or copper used in parts ofSouth Asia cite web
title = Definition of Lota
publisher = Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
url = http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/lota
accessdate = 2007-03-22 ]It is commonly used to store or transfer small amounts of liquids like
milk orwater . It is also used inreligious activities likeHindu poojas or for purposes ofablution . When used for Hindu worships, it is often decorated withsindoor and/orturmeric powder.In the
India nsub-continent , where cleaning with water is the usual method for maintaining personal hygiene afterdefecation orurination , a lota with a spout is widely used as a container for this purpose. Due to the hygienic requirements of ritual ablution, orwudu andghusl in Islam adhered to by many Muslims, the use of a Lota has become prevalent throughout the Muslim world, where it is considered to provide a more thorough cleaning than simply using toilet paper.A Neti Lota, a specially designed pot for nasal irrigation, is also used in the practice of
Hatha Yoga , aiding in the practice of Pranayama, Asana and Meditation.Fact|date=July 2008 Its use to clear the sinuses is believed to prevent respiratory disease, reduce post-nasal drip, and normalize the pressure of the inner ear.cite web
title = Yoga in Daily Life
publisher = Yoga in Daily Life
url = http://www.yogaindailylife.org.au/news/yoganews/archive/7_02/page5.htm
accessdate = 2008-09-11 ]Charles Eames and the Lota
Charles Eames was fascinated by the Lota and considered it significant because it has become, over its evolution, exactly right. The design of the lota addresses the need of retrieving, carrying, storing, and pouring water.cite web
last = Demetrios
first = Eames
title = An Eames Primer
publisher = Universe Publishing
date = February 9, 2002
url = http://www.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/147/Eames-Demetrios-An-Eames-Primer-page01.html#post13
accessdate = 2007-03-22 ] In his "The India Report ", he expressed a great admiration for the Lota and had the following to say about itsdesign :cite web
title = Eames' India Report
publisher = National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India
url = http://www.nid.edu/aboutus_eamesreport.htm
accessdate = 2007-03-22 ] cquote|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. The village women have a process which, with the use of tamarind and ash, each day turns this brass into gold. But how would one go about designing a Lota? First one would have to shut out all preconceived ideas on the subject and then begin to consider factor after factor:*The optimum amount of liquid to be fetched, carried, poured and stored in a prescribed set of circumstances.
*The size and strength and gender of the hands (if hands) that would manipulate it.
*The way it is to be transported – head, hip, hand, basket or cart.
*The balance, the center of gravity, when empty, when full, its balance when rotated for pouring.
*The fluid dynamics of the problem not only when pouring but when filling and cleaning, and under the complicated motions of head carrying – slow and fast.
*Its sculpture as it fits the palm of the hand, the curve of the hip.
*Its sculpture as compliment to the rhythmic motion of walking or a static post at the well.
*The relation of opening to volume in terms of storage uses – and objects other than liquid.
*The size of the opening and inner contour in terms of cleaning.
*The texture inside and out in terms of cleaning and feeling.
*Heat transfer – can it be grasped if the liquid is hot?
*How pleasant does it feel, eyes closed, eyes open?
*How pleasant does it sound, when it strikes another vessel, is set down on ground or stone, empty or full – or being poured into?
*What is the possible material?
*What is its cost in terms of working?
*What is its cost in terms of ultimate service?
*What kind of an investment does the material provide as product, as salvage?
*How will the material affect the contents, etc., etc.?
*How will it look as the sun reflects off its surface?
*How does it feel to possess it, to sell it, to give it ?|Charles Eames|The India ReportOther facts
The word "lota" or the phrase "Bependi ka Lota" (literally a "lota without a base") is colloquially used in a
derogatory manner to refer to a person who frequently switches loyalties. This is because a spherical lota without a base tends to roll over in unpredictable directions when kept on uneven ground. Theneologism "" was coined in Pakistan to describepoliticians who frequently switched parties.Provisionally used as the term "sajed" many years ago, Urdu language was changed and suited for further fluency. What we then knew as "sajed" is now known as a "lota".Fact|date=June 2007
In many parts of
Bangladesh , the term "bodna" is used to describe a lota.References
External links
* [http://halai.blogspot.com/2005/12/very-serious-poll.html A Very Serious Web Poll] A man trying to figure out how people use a Lota.
* [http://www.tmafilmstudios.com/bodna_nai_new_int_vers.wmv Bodna Nai] Music video depicting the extinction of the Lota from Urban Bangladesh
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