If you've browsed UmedMart's Handmade Pottery collection, you've probably run into a wall of similar-sounding SANKET terracotta pieces — Water Jar, Kalash Tambya, Milk Vessel, Chicken Vessel, Biryani Vessel — all handcrafted by the same SHG, all made from the same natural Satara clay, and none of it obvious from the name alone which one you actually need. Here's what each one is actually for, so you don't end up ordering a cooking pot when you wanted a water jar.
All five lines below are handmade by Shri Ram Mahila Swayam Sahayata Samuh, a women's Self-Help Group based in Satara, Maharashtra, using a blend of three types of natural sand — no glaze, no chemical treatment.
Water Jar: for everyday drinking water
This is the plain, round-bellied storage jar — the closest thing to a modern matka in this range. Terracotta's natural porosity lets a little moisture seep through the walls and evaporate, which is what keeps water inside noticeably cooler than room temperature without any refrigeration. It comes in two sizes:
- 1000 ML — ₹408, good for a couple sharing a fridge-free jar on the kitchen counter.
- 1500 ML — ₹432, sized more for a small family.
New to seasoning a clay water jar before first use? We've covered that separately in How to Season and Care for a New Clay Pot or Matka — the same soak-and-dry routine applies here.
Kalash Tambya: the multi-purpose one
The listing describes this one as multi-purpose by design — suited to traditional rituals (the classic kalash used in pooja and griha pravesh ceremonies, typically topped with a coconut and mango leaves), as a decorative piece, or as everyday water storage. If you want one item that can move between the prayer shelf and the kitchen counter depending on the day, this is it, not the plain Water Jar.
Milk Vessel: the smaller one, for milk
Don't substitute the Water Jar for this one — the Milk Vessel is listed separately and sized specifically for storing milk, in smaller capacities than the Water Jar.
- 500 ML — ₹288, close to a single day's milk for one or two people.
- 1000 ML — ₹408, better for a family that goes through a litre a day.
Chicken Vessel: not a feeder — it's a cooking handi
This name trips people up. The "Chicken Vessel" isn't a poultry feeding trough — the listing describes it as cookware for slow-cooking chicken curry and similar traditional dishes, in the same family as clay-pot cooking generally, which has stayed popular for slow-cooked gravies because the porous walls let the dish breathe slightly while it cooks. If you're shopping for a cooking pot rather than kitchen storage, this line — not the Water Jar or Kalash Tambya — is what you want, and it's sized more generously across four capacities:
- 500 ML — ₹384
- 1000 ML — ₹492
- 1500 ML — ₹624
- 2000 ML — ₹708, sized for cooking for a larger family or a gathering.
A note on using any of these for cooking rather than storage: terracotta cookware needs a gradual, low flame rather than sudden high heat, and it isn't meant for a hot stovetop straight from the fridge — the same cracking risk we cover for clay pots generally in our seasoning guide above applies to cookware too, if anything more so.
Biryani Vessel: the other cooking pot, sized for rice dishes
Listed separately from the Chicken Vessel and marketed specifically for biryani and similar traditional dishes, this is the pick if what you're cooking is a rice dish rather than a curry or gravy. Two sizes:
- 1000 ML — ₹624
- 2000 ML — ₹744, meant for cooking in larger batches.
Quick pick: which one do you actually need?
- Just want cool drinking water on the counter: Water Jar.
- Want one piece for pooja days and occasional water storage: Kalash Tambya.
- Storing milk specifically: Milk Vessel, not the Water Jar.
- Cooking a chicken curry or similar slow-cooked gravy: Chicken Vessel — it's cookware, sized by how many you're feeding.
- Making biryani or another rice dish: Biryani Vessel — it's the line marketed specifically for that.
FAQs
Can I use the Chicken Vessel or Biryani Vessel directly on a gas stove?
These are sold as traditional cooking vessels, but like any terracotta cookware they need a low, gradual flame rather than high direct heat, and shouldn't go from cold storage straight onto a hot burner. If a listing specifies stovetop use, follow its guidance; when in doubt, a heat diffuser under the pot on a gas flame is the safer approach traditionally used with clay cookware.
Is the Kalash Tambya the same as a pooja kalash I'd buy separately for a festival?
Functionally yes — it's shaped and sized for that use — with the advantage that it also works as everyday water storage the rest of the year, rather than sitting unused between festivals.
Do these need seasoning like a new matka?
The storage pieces (Water Jar, Kalash Tambya, Milk Vessel) benefit from the same soak-and-dry seasoning described in our clay pot care guide. Cooking vessels (Chicken Vessel, Biryani Vessel) are generally seasoned by a light oiling and a slow first heat rather than a water soak — check the specific product listing for any care notes before first use.
Looking for a personal drinking bottle, mug, or cup instead of kitchen storage jars? See our guide to RANI LAKSHMIBAI SHG's Bottle, Mug, Glass, Pot, Tawa, Can, and Piggy Bank range.
Browse the complete range in UmedMart's Handmade Pottery collection, or read about the women's Self-Help Groups behind this and UmedMart's other terracotta lines in Empowering Rural Artisans.
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