I was visiting my parents home recently. On reaching home, the first thing i did was to drink the cool sweet mud scented water from the matka and experienced the benefits of heeding the ancestral wisdom of storing water in earthen pot(matka).

Using a clay pot for water is not just a traditional alternative to the steel, glass and plastic containers, but it’s a healthier alternative as well. Clay pots not only cool the water down, as they are porous, they also provide healing with the elements of earth. 

Another benefit of clay water pots is the alkaline nature of clay. The alkaline clay interacts with the acidity of water and provides the proper pH balance. This water can help curb acidity and in turn provides relief from gastronomic pains. No wonder I suffered from acidity for a long time as I was drinking water from plastic dispenser few years back.

Drinking the right amount of water everyday can help us boost metabolism. We usually store water in plastic containers, without realising that there are harmful chemicals like BPA (Bisphenol A) in plastic that cling onto the water molecules and pose a health hazard. Alternatively, drinking water from a clay pot can help improve metabolism without dangerous chemicals like BPA. Drinking water from a clay pot can also help maintain a level of testosterone in your body, as opposed to plastic, which in turn reduces the amount of testosterone in our body. Clay water tastes natural, pleasantly chilled and also helps improve metabolism and virility.

Clay pots also transfer the chill to the water based on the climate. This quality of a clay pot is unique, and no other container has the same quality. The water stored in an earthen pot is gentle on the throat. It is an ideal drink for people suffering from cough or cold. 

Most significantly, let us not forget our community kumbhar(potter). We all are living in symbiotic environment. They add value to our lives and by being loyal to their local production, we support their family. It is time we chose to have a healthier matka for our water storage!