Patiala Kasera Community Earthen Pottery

Kasera potters in Patiala's villages turn terracotta on kick-wheels to produce surahis (long-neck water coolers), matkas (water pots), and kulhads (chai cups) from local alluvial clay. The fired pots are sold at Patiala's weekly mela bazars and to sweet shops that serve chai in traditional kulhads. Punjab's kasera pottery tradition is linked to the cooling properties of unglazed terracotta; a surah matka keeps water four to six degrees cooler than ambient temperature through evaporative cooling, making it valued in summer months before the spread of refrigeration.