Mashak - Goatskin water bag, in Nepal

From the archive record

A mashk or mashq is a traditional water-carrying bag, usually made of waterproofed goat-skin, from North India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Mashqs can vary in size, from a hand-held bag, which was often used to carry liquids such as alcohol, to a large man-sized bag that comes with shoulder strap. They usually have only one narrowed opening. A person who is carrying a large mashq is called a māshqi . Traditionally, in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, the larger mashq was associated with the Bhishti subcaste who were employed as water-carriers by all other sections of society and often seen dispensing water (for a fee) in public places, gardens and construction sites. Since water came as a great relief to people and plants during the hot summer in the northern Indian plain