Picture yourself on a hot riverbank in colonial India during the summer months, when the humid heat becomes so unbearable that even the act of breathing feels like strenuous work. To the ruling British and the rich Indians in Bengal, the idea of drinking something cold would have seemed like an impossible luxury. There was only one way to cool things down: freezing water overnight in shallow clay pits, though the results were muddy and expensive.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
