Bhopal: Kudi, a metal container of folk community of Jodhpur in Rajasthan for storing or carrying water, is the third Exhibit of the Week this month that has been posted on official website and social media pages of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal.
The exhibition that began from Monday is part of latest and popular online series of museum, Exhibit of the Week. The height and circumference of the exhibit, collected from the folk community, are 59 cm and 136 cm respectively.
Musuem assistant keeper Sudeepa Roy says Kudi is used for carrying water from a distant source to the house. The body has a round-shaped belly with a narrow and constricted cylindrical neck extended to a sturdy and chunky mouth.
The exterior part is beautifully woven with tight strips of animal hide. This weave-pattern also has a loop-like structure extended on either side of the vessel that serves as the handle.
The provision of these side handles allows two persons to lift and carry water with ease from the source to the destination. Local ironsmiths prepare this kind of vessel, mainly using iron and leather as raw materials. Heating and constant hammering techniques are used to forge and shape this magnificent piece of an iron vessel, Roy said.
Museum director Praveen Kumar Mishra said cultural objects are heavily influenced by geographical conditions where people live. In the desert villages of Rajasthan, where a scant rainfall is evident, the women folk spend half of their daily chores travelling long distances to fetch water for their domestic use. To fulfill this basic need, they use locally manufactured containers in the arid region, he adds.
