History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c26.s2.t2.4

v1.c26.s2.t2.4

Vedic Period : Even the *Ṛgveda* mentions a large number of utensils (Prakash, Om, 1961, pp. 34-57, Iyengar, 1932, pp. 28, 47 ff.). Special *soma* storage vessels were the *amatra, ahara, kośa, dru, kalasa, camu* and *droṇa*, and for other liquids there were vessels like the *kumbha, acecana*, a gold *kalasam*, a bag for milk (*dṛti*), a water bucket (*udañcana*) and nested vessels (*dhiṣaṇa*). *Patra, camasa* and *graha* were drinking cups, while *ukha, garma* and *pacana* were cooking pots, and *caru* a covered cauldron. Spoons and ladles included the *juhu, upasecani, śruk, śruva, darvi* and *neksanam*, while *pavitra* and *karotara* were strainers, and *suna* and *svādhiti* were knives. *Grāvan* and *adri* were grinding stones for *soma*, *ulukhala* and *vanaspati* (later called *musala*) were a mortar and pestle, and *dṛsad* a flat grinding stone. *Śūla* was a roasting spit, *dhamatr* a blower or bellows, *titau* was a sieve, and *surpa* a winnowing basket of wicker. A general term for a leather cask used to store water, liquor and curds was *dhrti*, and for a leather bag *krvi*. A minority opinion was that the *ulukhala* was a shallow, wide-mouthed mortar for grinding, while the *musala* was the long heavy, waisted pounder (Sircar, 1967, p. 194).