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In Indian restrooms, I have often seen a flexible water hose with a hand-release attached.

My original assumption was that it is supposed to be used to clean the bowl if you have left 'skidmarks' after flushing, or for use by the cleaning personnel. However, recently I saw a reference in a travel blog that you are supposed to use it for cleaning yourself in the respective areas; similar to the water-spray system in toilets in Japan.

What is really the intention?

I would prefer an answer from someone that grew up in India, and really knows what the intended use is, not a guess from other travellers - I can guess myself.

Yes, we Indians normally don't use toilet papers. We use water to clean after toilet use. The water hose is used exactly for that.

Its for cleaning yourself, and is not limited to India. They are also common in the Middle East, and there are also portable versions people take with them when traveling.

Cleaning with toilet paper after attending to nature's call is foreign in the Middle East and many parts of Asia.

It is a Bidet Shower.

A bidet shower (bum gun, bidet spray, bidet sprayer, or health faucet), is a hand-held triggered nozzle that is placed near the toilet and delivers a spray of water used for anal cleansing and cleaning of the genitals after using the toilet for defecation and urination. The device is similar to that on a kitchen sink sprayer.

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Usage

The user typically grasps the faucet in the right hand and uses the thumb or forefinger (depending on the trigger location) to aim a spray of water at the anus or genitals to assist cleansing after using the toilet.

Prevalance

The bidet shower is common in all predominantly Islamic countries and in most parts of Asia where water is considered essential for anal cleansing. This includes Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan (called 'Muslim shower'), China, Iran, India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia. In those countries it is commonly installed in Western-style (sitting) toilet installations. In Thailand, it is common in both Western-style toilets and squat toilet installations. The bidet shower is similar in intent, if not method of use, to the Japanese washlet-style toilet seats, or so-called "electronic bidets".

Bidet showers are used by Muslims in Muslim countries and all parts of the Arab world as well as in Asia in order to cleanse themselves with water after using the toilet. Here, water is commonly used instead of, or together with, toilet paper for cleaning after defecation.

In Europe, the bidet shower is used for example in Finland and Estonia.[4] Bidets are more common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries.

Bidet Shower

In Turkey this water jet is fixed on the commode and directs water where it needs to go without anyone having to hold a bidet shower and pointing it there.