Water systems

It is difficult to harness water, water finds its way, water looks for a slope, water flows, wall to contain the water should be before it comes, water goes all over…From the pyaus for the thirsty to plastic mineral water bottles, something fundamental has changed. Humans have sourced, controlled, guided and stored water; individual or small storages starting from pots, utensils, pits, wells, loto, dhochki, bhotvo, maantlun, Paaniharun, kothi, taankaao, etc. served the household storage of water, Vaavo, kundo, talaavo, kosh, rent, virdaa and such are/were, kosh, rent, virdaa, ponds, lakes, canals, step-wells, water systems and such were functioning systems of yester years and have become our heritage - pointers and reminders of the value of water. Dry and semi desert regions Gujarat and Rajasthan show admirable examples of human ingenious in the processes and types of water storage. Thus, water responsive architecture became the hallmark of these regions. Hydrology, slopes, soil types and such were part of local knowledge. One does not find this concern in Kerala as much as one does in the deserts and the semi-desert regions. There the water wells and the tanks are a household affair. But then in Kerala, drinking water shortage is commonplace and rivers like Bharatpura having gone dry and the water disputes between Kerala and neighboring Tamil Nadu are noteworthy. Concepts: The essential, sacred, scarce, scarcity, rare, settlement, hydrology, ancient, thoughtful, ingenious, decentralized, engineered, constructed, labor intensive, skilled.
Banaras Water Tank, 1880

Banaras Water Tank, 1880

1 Interior of the pumping station at Bhadaini, Banaras. 2 Exterior of the same.3 The water tank in the same complex. These buildings were built in 1880 and are remarkable for their quality of architecture and construction.

Virdas of Jat community, Kutch, Gujarat

Virdas of Jat community, Kutch, Gujarat

There are extreme conditions of duress for getting even drinking water in certain faraway places such as Kutch. Here in the North Western edge of Kutch we see the virdas that are dug up to get the water that is filtered from the sea. These small wells get dug up in different places and give a few buckets full of water at an interval of half an hour or so depending on the season. The houses shown here and the people are of Jat community.

Ablution Ponds

Ablution Ponds

1 Settlement at Pushkar Lake, Rajasthan. Clockwise: 2 Agraharam houses around a large tank in Suchindram, Tamil Nadu. 3 Safa Masjid, Ponda, Goa, the idea and tradition of such bathing ponds in mosques start from Goa and goes up to Kerala. 4 Original ablution pond within a clay tiled courtyard at Jumma mosque at Ahmedabad. 5 Ablution pond at Tazhatangadi mosque in Kottayam, Kerala.

Sahastraling Talav, Patan, 1084 A.D

Sahastraling Talav, Patan, 1084 A.D

A water system of this period, in stone, not fully excavated. 1 Water flow reducer tank. 2 Part of the tank and the channel with sluices at the far end. 3 Sluice gate mechanism with the channel leading to the reducer.

Sarkhej Roza Complex, Makarba, Gujarat (c. 1500 AD)

Sarkhej Roza Complex, Makarba, Gujarat (c. 1500 AD)

1 Sarkhej complex looking westwards with early summer water level. 2 Floods in 1973, when the water had reached the top level of the steps at Queen’s pavilion, this is when the author had washed his feet atop the Ellis Bridge in the city of Ahmedabad. 3 Image taken in 2011 where the urban growth around can be seen in the background of the Queen’s pavilion.

Water Systems, Gujarat

Water Systems, Gujarat

View of the kund in Sun Temple (1026 A.D), Modhera, Gujarat. Below: Views of Adalaj ni vaav, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (c.1499 A.D): steps, columns, brackets, filigree and niches in the vaav.

Chandrasar Lake, Pratappur, Gujarat (1460 A.D)

Chandrasar Lake, Pratappur, Gujarat (1460 A.D)

Example of pristine ecology, a most carefully kept water system by the village with rules such as water not to be used for irrigation purposes, etc. A school teacher of the village has inspired and trained several state level swimmers.
Rani Ki Vaav, Patan, Gujarat, c.1022-1063 A.D

Rani Ki Vaav, Patan, Gujarat, c.1022-1063 A.D

1 Rani ki vaav that was dug up in 1986. The shaft of the well with statuaries demarcated by rings of stone. Clockwise: 2 View of Rani ki vaav from the eastern side. 3 A lavish wall paneling with iconographic significance. 4 Typical Gujarati column detail especially used in water structures. 5 Sheshashayee Vishnu in the central niche of Rani ki vaav.
Mandu (Mandavgadh), Madhya Pradesh

Mandu (Mandavgadh), Madhya Pradesh

1 Jahaz Mahal from southern lake side (c.1500 A.D) Clockwise: 2 Water system lake. 3 Terrace of Jahaz Mahal. 4 Spiral waterspout, Neelkanth Mahadev. 5 Central pavilion atop Jahaz Mahal.