It's a hot sunny day. Your throat is parched. So what do you do? Reach for that bottle of cold water in your fridge? Refrigerators and freezers typically make up about 17% of total residential electricity consumption and the continual opening and closing of that fridge door doesn't help! "Matkas",by which you can cool your drinking water by up to 14° C (~25° F ) lower than room temperature without using any electricity! While a matka won't eliminate your need for a refrigerator, it could help you reduce your refrigerator's electricity consumption.
A matka is a terracotta pot. Various sizes are available. A variation of a matka with a longer slender neck called a "surahi" is also used for storing water. "A matka is made of mud and has many minute pores (extremely small holes). No matter how tightly you pack the mud, these pores remain. It is through these pores that the water, placed inside the matka, oozes out." This continual evaporation of water from the side of the matka causes the water to cool.
Water from a matka is comparatively gentler on the throat; hence people who are prone to cough and coldsare advised to consume it from such earthen pots than straight from a refrigerator.
Nowadays, you’ll also see jug-shaped earthen pots to store water, they are handy and will also look nice on your dining table. So this summer, bring on those cute looking matkas, delicate surahis, and jugs for refreshingly fresh and cool water. But make sure you scrub and clean them regularly
