MASHQIS OR BISHTIS HAVE VANISHED FROM OUR LANDSCAPE ...
They carried water in Mashq ( bag made of goat hide )slung over their shoulders.Come summer time , we saw them sprinkling water on roads . We also saw them offering drinking water to the thirsty. They were known as Mashqis or Bishtis . A filled Mashq carried about 30 litres of water that was filled from wells . In Kashmir ,we used to call these water carriers as 'Saqqa " . In Kashmir , a Saqqa would join sweepers employed by municipality to clean roads. Mashqis were also seen in shrines and fairs serving water to the thirsty . They also supplied water to the households on payment.
Saqqas were a part of the Egyptian society. In Egypt,they would bring water from Nile to be used in Mosques, Khanqaahs and households.
After the piped water was supplied to cities and rural areas , the Mashqis or Bishtis lost their business and they vanished from the urban and rural landscape.
( Avtar Mota )
They carried water in Mashq ( bag made of goat hide )slung over their shoulders.Come summer time , we saw them sprinkling water on roads . We also saw them offering drinking water to the thirsty. They were known as Mashqis or Bishtis . A filled Mashq carried about 30 litres of water that was filled from wells . In Kashmir ,we used to call these water carriers as 'Saqqa " . In Kashmir , a Saqqa would join sweepers employed by municipality to clean roads. Mashqis were also seen in shrines and fairs serving water to the thirsty . They also supplied water to the households on payment.
Saqqas were a part of the Egyptian society. In Egypt,they would bring water from Nile to be used in Mosques, Khanqaahs and households.
After the piped water was supplied to cities and rural areas , the Mashqis or Bishtis lost their business and they vanished from the urban and rural landscape.
( Avtar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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