India has seen many
modernizations over the past fifty years. Roads have been paved, gas stations have sprung up,
sewers have been built. But one thing that has yet to change - and will likely withstand change for some time to come - is the Indian
toilet. "Western-style" toilets can be found, in the homes of the rich and
West-emulating, but in almost all residences and certainly all
public toilets the Indian toilet reigns supreme. If you ever plan to visit India, the following information will be vital.
The Indian toilet is, basically, a glorified hole in the ground attached to a drainage system. The hole is surrounded by a porcelain attachment consisting of a slope leading to the hole and footrests. A quick-n-dirty ascii diagram:
___
__/ \__
|-| |-|
|-| |-|
|-| O |-|
|-------|
Off to the sides are where one places one's feet. Facing away from the hole, one squats and does one's business. After having completed one's business, one fills the nearby bucket with water and (if necessary) washes one's rear - no toilet paper here. One also makes sure that all the remnants of one's business are washed into the hole. It is also usually customary to wash one's feet, too (keep in mind that no one wears shoes in India - it's all about sandals).
Pros:
- Squatting slants one's body in such a way as to make bowel movements much easier, and constipation is less of a problem.
- Washing one's rear with water generally cleans it better than toilet paper, if leaving one's hands less than sanitary. But thats what sinks and soap are for.
- Western-style toilets break, overflow, and whatnot. These don't.
Cons:
- Squatting is very difficult for India's growing senior population, and the houses of old people are more and more frequently equipped with Western-style toilets.
- The Western toilet is not just a poop terminal - one can sit there for hours, lost in thought. Not in this toilet.
- If, perchance, one slips or falls, well, that's just disgusting.