Lota (vessel)

A lota (Hindi: लोटा; Odia: ଲୋଟା/ନୋଟା; Urdu: لوٹا) is a small, spouted, and rounded vessel that has been used in the Indian subcontinent since the 2nd millennium BCE or earlier. The design itself serves multiple purposes; a copper lota is commonly used in Indian religious ceremonies, such as yajna during puja, for wedding rituals, and other sacred traditions. It is also used for serving water and liquor. According to the ancient Indian/Hindu-origin traditional medicine system of ayurveda, drinking water stored in the copper lota has health and nutritional benefits.

The vessel's regional variations include the bodna (Bengali: বদনা) in Bengal, the kindi in Kerala, and the Karuwa in Nepal.