Kamandalu

Kamandalu (Sanskrit: कमण्डलु, kamaṇḍalu^[1]), kamandal, or kamandalam is an oblong water pot, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made of a dry gourd (pumpkin) or coconut shell, metal, wood of the Kamandalataru tree,^[2] or from clay, usually with a handle and sometimes with a spout. Hindu ascetics or yogis often use it for storing drinking water.^[3] The water-filled kamandalu, which is invariably carried by ascetics, is stated to represent a simple and self-contained life.

The kamandalu also used in Hindu iconography, in depiction of deities related with asceticism or water. It is, thus, viewed as a symbol of ascetism in Hinduism. The kamandalu is also used by Jain monks and in depictions of some bodhisattvas.^[4]