Ghara is an earthen pot made in the Indian subcontinent. It is used for storing drinking water and keeping it cool.[1][2]

The typical shape of a ghara

The word ghara has cognates in Pahari, Bengali[3] and Odia languages that can all be traced to the Sanskrit word ghaṭa meaning pot.[4] It is spelled in Hindi: घड़ा;[5] in Nepali: घड़ा ghaṛā;[6] in Urdu: گھڑا;[7] in Saraiki: دِلّا[8] and in Punjabi: ਘਡ਼ਾ.[9]

The word ghara is also used for the hollow bulbous protuberance on the snout of mature male gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) as it is shaped like a ghara. This protuberance enables them to emit a hissing sound that can be heard 75 m (246 ft) away.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Sikdar, M. & Chaudhuri, P. (2015). "Pottery making tradition among the Prajapati community of Gujarat, India". Eurasian Journal of Anthropology. 6 (1): 1–14.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Shafeeq, M. (2014). "Crafts of Cholistan (Bahawalpur Punjab Pakistan)". International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. 4 (8): 193–199.
  3. ^ "Bangladict.com - অভিধানে 'ঘড়া' এর অর্থ". www.bangladict.com. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  4. ^ Parpola, A. (2011). "Crocodile in the Indus Civilization and later South Asian traditions" (PDF). In Osada, H.; Endo, H. (eds.). Linguistics, Archaeology and the Human Past. Kyoto, Japan: Indus Project Research Institute for Humanity and Nature. pp. 1–57. ISBN 978-4-902325-67-6.
  5. ^ Caturvedi, M. (1970). "घ/ड़ा". A practical Hindi-English dictionary. Delhi: National Publishing House. p. 186.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Turner, R. L. (1931). "घड़ा ghaṛā". A comparative and etymological dictionary of the Nepali language. London: K. Paul, Trench, Trubner. p. 153.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Platts, J. T. (1884). "گهاٿ घाट". A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English. London: W. H. Allen & Co. p. 929.
  8. ^ "دِلّا", وکشنری, 2022-12-03, retrieved 2023-11-19
  9. ^ Singh, M. (1895). "ਘਡ਼ਾ". The Panjabi dictionary. Lahore: Munshi Gulab Singh & Sons. p. 382.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Biswas, S.; Acharjyo, L. N. & Mohapatra, S. (1977). "A note on the protuberance or knob on the snout of male gharial, Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin)". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 74 (3): 536–537.