Hoshiarpur Traditional Grain Storage Kothi Earthen

Farmers in Hoshiarpur's Kandi and canal belt villages historically stored wheat and maize in mud-plastered cylindrical kothis built inside the home, sealing the grain from insects with a neem-leaf lining and a mud-daubed lid. Each kothi held 10 to 30 quintals and could preserve grain for two to three years without chemical treatment. Though metal bins and government procurement warehouses have largely replaced kothis, older Jat farmhouses still maintain a kothi for household consumption grain, and the low-cost zero-energy storage principle is being studied for revival under natural farming programmes.