Kamandalu

Kamandalu (Sakata: kamaṇḍalu) is an oblong water pot, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made of a dry gourd (pumpkin) or coconut shell, metal, wood of the kamaṇḍalataru tree, or from clay, usually with a handle and sometimes with a spout. Hindu ascetics or yogis often use it for storing drinking water. The water-filled kamaṇḍalu, which is invariably carried by ascetics, is stated to represent a simple and self-contained life.

The kamaṇḍalu also appears in Hindu iconography in depictions of deities associated with asceticism or water. It is thus regarded as a symbol of asceticism in Hinduism. The kamaṇḍalu is also used by Jain monks and in depictions of some bodhisattvas.

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