Kulhar
Encyclopedia
A kulhar or kulhad, sometimes called a shikora, is a traditional handle-less terracotta cup from North India
and Pakistan
that is typically unpainted and unglazed, and meant to be disposable. Since kulhars are made by firing in a kiln
and are almost never reused, they are inherently sterile and hygienic. Bazaars and food stalls in the Indian subcontinent
traditionally served hot beverages, such as tea, in kuhlars, which suffused the beverage with an "earthy aroma" that was often considered appealing. Some regional desserts, such as kulfi
(traditional ice-cream), are also served in kulhars. Kulhars have gradually given way to thermocole (polystyrene)
and coated-paper cups in India, because the latter are lighter to carry in bulk and cheaper.
.
(then under the leadership of minister Laloo Prasad Yadav) attempted to revive the use of kulhars for tea and other beverages sold on railway stations and aboard trains. It was argued that this was more hygienic than plastic, and also more environmentally friendly because kulhars are made exclusively of clay. It was also believed that, since kulhars are manufactured by small rural kilns, this would assist in boosting rural employment.
Critics countered that the railways would need to dispense about 1.8 billion kulhars a year, which would mean heavy fuel consumption in the kilns with associated pollution. The discovery of thousands of years old shards from Indus Valley ruins was also used as evidence to challenge the assertion that kulhars biodegrade rapidly and are environmentally superior. If the clay in a kulhar is fired at higher-temperatures, the water inherent in the clay evaporates and the salts fuse to form glassy substances (this is what gives ceramic
s their glaze), which can take up to a decade to degrade. Fears were also expressed that a kulhar revival might result in topsoil
depletion at the rate of 100 acre (0.404686 km²) per state per day and that the economic gains to rural artisans would be minimal.
Although alternatives to topsoil are available and kuhlars can be made at lower temperatures to save fuel and make them more rapidly degradable, by 2008, the effort to revive kulhar use on the railways was being considered a failure with the continuing widespread use of plastic and coated-paper cups. The primary reasons were the weight of kulhars and the higher per-unit cost. One estimate claimed procurement costs to be 40 paisa
s per kulhar and 7-10 paisas for coated-paper cups. There were also some vendor complaints that, because kulhars absorb liquids to some extent, buyers have to be given more tea per serving in a kulhar than in a disposable plastic cup.
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
that is typically unpainted and unglazed, and meant to be disposable. Since kulhars are made by firing in a kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
and are almost never reused, they are inherently sterile and hygienic. Bazaars and food stalls in the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
traditionally served hot beverages, such as tea, in kuhlars, which suffused the beverage with an "earthy aroma" that was often considered appealing. Some regional desserts, such as kulfi
Kulfi
Kulfi or Qulfi is a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian Subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian Subcontinent ice-cream". It is popular throughout countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma , and even the Middle East...
(traditional ice-cream), are also served in kulhars. Kulhars have gradually given way to thermocole (polystyrene)
Polystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
and coated-paper cups in India, because the latter are lighter to carry in bulk and cheaper.
Possible origins
Kulhars may have been in use in the region for the past 5,000 years, since the Indus Valley CivilizationIndus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
.
Effects on taste
Since kulhars are unglazed, a hot beverage (such as tea) partially soaks into the interior wall of the kulhar in which it being served. This has an enhancing effect on the beverage's taste and fragrance, which is sometimes described as "earthy" (सौंधी ख़ुशबू, سوندهی خشبو, sondhi khushboo). Although kulhars have been losing ground to synthetic cups due to cost and efficiency reasons, higher-end restaurants often serve kulhar-waali chai (tea in kulhars) to their patrons.Revival efforts by Indian Railways and criticism
In 2004, the Indian RailwaysIndian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
(then under the leadership of minister Laloo Prasad Yadav) attempted to revive the use of kulhars for tea and other beverages sold on railway stations and aboard trains. It was argued that this was more hygienic than plastic, and also more environmentally friendly because kulhars are made exclusively of clay. It was also believed that, since kulhars are manufactured by small rural kilns, this would assist in boosting rural employment.
Critics countered that the railways would need to dispense about 1.8 billion kulhars a year, which would mean heavy fuel consumption in the kilns with associated pollution. The discovery of thousands of years old shards from Indus Valley ruins was also used as evidence to challenge the assertion that kulhars biodegrade rapidly and are environmentally superior. If the clay in a kulhar is fired at higher-temperatures, the water inherent in the clay evaporates and the salts fuse to form glassy substances (this is what gives ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s their glaze), which can take up to a decade to degrade. Fears were also expressed that a kulhar revival might result in topsoil
Topsoil
Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top to . It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.-Importance:...
depletion at the rate of 100 acre (0.404686 km²) per state per day and that the economic gains to rural artisans would be minimal.
Although alternatives to topsoil are available and kuhlars can be made at lower temperatures to save fuel and make them more rapidly degradable, by 2008, the effort to revive kulhar use on the railways was being considered a failure with the continuing widespread use of plastic and coated-paper cups. The primary reasons were the weight of kulhars and the higher per-unit cost. One estimate claimed procurement costs to be 40 paisa
Paisa
The paisa is a monetary unit in several countries. Linguistic variants of paisa include poisha and baisa . In India, Nepal and Pakistan, the paisa currently equals of a rupee. In Bangladesh, the poisha equals of a Bangladeshi taka...
s per kulhar and 7-10 paisas for coated-paper cups. There were also some vendor complaints that, because kulhars absorb liquids to some extent, buyers have to be given more tea per serving in a kulhar than in a disposable plastic cup.