Water Tank Themes in Punjab

If you go to Punjab, be it the urban or the rural areas, you are bound to notice the interesting themes and shapes used in either making the overhead water tanks or just for decoration purposes.

A Water Jug

Though I have noticed these water tanks in urban Punjab for the past several years but I was surprised when recently I was visiting some villages I found them in the rural households as well. The water jug shows the importance of water in the rural lifestyles of Punjab.

Two oxes

So also are the oxen ubiquitous in the agriculture dominant Punjab even if most people nowadays use tractors and thrashers for cultivation purposes.

A Whiskey Bottle

And how can one not find a whiskey bottle as a theme in Punjab! After all it is widely known that Punjabis have a huge capacity to drink large amounts of hard drinks. The Patiala Peg is a term coined for an unusually large peg of whiskey. There is also a joke (it is a joke only - no means to verify the statement!) that in India maximum number of English speakers before 8 PM are in the state of Kerala but after 8 PM maximum number of English speakers are in Punjab!

Football Water Tank

Punjab is also known for its sports culture and there are several factories which produce sports goods in Ludhiana and Jalandhar. The National Institute of Sports (NIS) is also there in Patiala. So football as a theme for an overhead water tank also is very commonly seen.

Interesting themes for water tanks & housetops

I saw these interesting themes being made in one of the villages. All these are made from cement. The themes included, among others, birds, woman carrying a pitcher of water, lions, umbrella, snakes, oxen and even Statue of Liberty!