Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India

International Refereed, Blind Peer-Reviewed Multidisciplinary & Open Access Research Journal Issue: 03 | Vol.: 12 | Jul.-Aug.-Sep. - 2025 | Pages: 63–68 | RRSSH | ISSN: 2348 – 3318 | Periodicity : Quarterly, Language : English & Hindi https://ijorr.in [ 63 ] Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta DOI : …………, Plagiarism/Similarity: 00% Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta Sahitya Sansthan, JRNRV (Deemed-to-beUniversity), Udaipur, Rajasthan.313001. Received : 08/08/2025 1st BPR : 15/08/2025 2nd BPR : 01/09/2025 Accepted : 11/09/2025 Abstract This paper explores the art and architecture of Rajasthan through a case study of traditional water structures in Western India. From the Harappan civilization to the medieval period, hydraulic engineering has played a vital role in sustaining human life in arid zones. Structures such as tanks, stepwells, lakes, khadins, johads, and check-dams reflect indigenous innovations adapted to harsh geoclimatic conditions. Notable examples include Udaisagar, Rajsamand, and Jaisamand lakes of Mewar, along with wells of Shekhawati and reservoirs of Dholavira. These water systems not only highlight engineering skills but also emphasize cultural, social, and ecological values rooted in India’s heritage. Key words: Art, Architecture, Rajasthan, Water Structures, Western India. Introduction Rajasthan is an Indian state, to the north-west of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan and very often referred to as a desert: the Indian desert, the Rajasthan desert or the Thar Desert. The Thar Desert is part of the Afro-Asian desert belt, stretching from Sahara to the Gobi desert. Almost 58% of western Rajasthan, the Thar, is made up of sand dunes, low infertile hills and land high in mineral content. Human civilization owes its existence to water, which is the most crucial input for different activities such as agricultural operations. Any variation or fluctuation in the availability of this precarious resource would directly affect the society at large. The life of the people, particularly of those who live on livestock and agriculture, revolves around this essential resource. Rajasthan a part of western India, has very long tradition of hydraulic structures and several such ancient structures are still under use across the state. Therefore it is perhaps one of the ideal geographical areas to understand the development of traditional hydraulic civil engineering. Generally ancient folk settled closer to perennial water sources such as rivers and streams. However, there are numerous examples of ancient sites located away from natural water sources. At such sites, people must have built a variety of water structures. Water must have been a precious commodity, where ground water or monsoonal rains were scarce. This situation might have led to the innovation of tanks, step wells, dams, wells, and so on. Besides these, specific indigenous water harvesting and collection methods were developed in direct response to local geo-physical conditions, for example, johadas (small man-made water body), anicut, check-dams or embankments, khadins, moat and tanks. A Part from the Thar Desert to Aravalli Hill Ranges in Rajasthan Mewar is the region where the land is surrounded by oldest mountain ranges of Aravalli. The land is also known as rainy area of Western India. Meaning of word ‘Mewar’ is ‘Me’=Rainy and ‘War’=Land (A Land of Rains). In the context of irrigation-related construction, the period between 1550 A.D. and 1680 A.D. can be termed the ‘golden period’ in the history of Mewar (Ranawat, Iswar Singh 2004: 8-9). Lake Udaisagar also knows for only once meeting place between Akbar and Maharana Pratap army (Singh, K. P. 2008: 25). Udaisagar Lake, a well-known reservoir, located 10 km east of the city of International Refereed, Blind Peer-Reviewed Multidisciplinary & Open Access Research Journal Issue: 03 | Vol.: 12 | Jul.-Aug.-Sep. - 2025 | Pages: 63–68 | RRSSH | ISSN: 2348 – 3318 | Periodicity : Quarterly, Language : English & Hindi https://ijorr.in [ 64 ] Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta Udaipur, was constructed in 1559-64 A.D. by Maharana Udai Singh. Later on, two dams were built in A.D 1676 and 1678 A.D. by Maharana Raj Singh. These were the Jannasagar Lake (eight km northwest of Udaipur) and the Rajsamand Lake (located 60 km north of Udaipur). The famous ghat, Gangour ghat were constructed on the edge of Pichola Lake, which is vernacular art and architecture and Tripolia gate was used for celebration Teej festival by female (See Fig. 1). Fig. 1 : Gangor Ghat, Udaipur The latter one is a magnificent and gigantic structure of South Eastern Rajasthan, which is held to be about four km long and 18 km in circumference. Similarly, one of the largest dams, known as Jaisamand or Dhebar Lake, was constructed between 1685 and 1687 A.D., by Maharana Jai Singh. It is located about 58 km south of Udaipur (See Fig. 2). In addition to these, four rivers, namely Gomti, Jhamri, Ruparail and Bagar were dammed at a point thirty miles (about 45 km) southeast of Udaipur. The ancient tradition of water harvesting and storage continued through the later centuries. Significantly, some of the major water bodies have inscriptions, which throw light on the management systems and technical aspects of these hydraulic structures. In the semi-arid zones, often storage tanks and arrangement for collection of every drop of rainwater is found. It would have worked as a lifeline, particularly, when there was scarcity of precipitation. Examples of this kind have been noticed at Mandu, a medieval site in Malwa (Madhya Pradesh), Kumbhalgarh (Rajasthan), Asirgarh (Madhya Pradesh) and in many other places (Singh, K. P. and J.S. Kharakwal 2010: 111-121). The water structures at Mandu could support a very large population even without having any perennial water source. They worked out an excellent system of management of rainwater, which is visible even today. The underground water conservation technique of the 'Kundi Bhandara' in Burhanpur is also exemplary. A kund raised in the Kaliadeh Palace at Ujjain is an interesting example of its kind. Being in this palace gives one the feeling of being near water. On the other hand, the water tank of Asirgarh fort was the amazing example of water conservation and water management. Besides, the traditional structures such as jhalars and chopras appear to be the legacy of this heritage. International Refereed, Blind Peer-Reviewed Multidisciplinary & Open Access Research Journal Issue: 03 | Vol.: 12 | Jul.-Aug.-Sep. - 2025 | Pages: 63–68 | RRSSH | ISSN: 2348 – 3318 | Periodicity : Quarterly, Language : English & Hindi https://ijorr.in [ 65 ] Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta There is no area in the Indian subcontinent that does not have any hydraulic structure. It may be of interest to note that harsher the geography and climatic zone, the more ingenious have been the hydraulic structures. In areas of the arid Thar Desert, the ingenuity of villagers is subtly reflected in their methods of storing and utilizing every drop of water: people have acquired and perfected that knowledge through the experience of many millennia. The method of creating depressions, called khadins, in the rocky region of Jaisalmer is an example of this type in this regard. In fact, there are two terms, unav and khadin, to define depressions, but both these local terms have distinct connotations (See Fig. 2). Fig. 2: Water Bodies in Mewar Region of Western India The former is used exclusively to define natural depression, while the latter appears to define human effort to construct a dam, canals (both earthen and bring water masonry), or a well that has been built by the people. Its purpose was to from the depressions to adjacent location, where it was needed. Large numbers of khadins were made in the seventeenth century by the peasants. Those were the finest examples of dam and canal technology of the pre-modern period in the Thar Desert. Besides those, people also built wells and tanks in large numbers for various purposes. Backdrop In the Hamir Mahakavya a writing of the medieval period, the area of south Ghaggar valley has been addressed as Vang. The places like, Kalibanga or Pilibanga in the region bear testimony to it. The geographical features of the Vang 3 or Bang region have certain characteristics where rivers flow through various channels on a vast leveled ground without being much bounded by the natural edges. International Refereed, Blind Peer-Reviewed Multidisciplinary & Open Access Research Journal Issue: 03 | Vol.: 12 | Jul.-Aug.-Sep. - 2025 | Pages: 63–68 | RRSSH | ISSN: 2348 – 3318 | Periodicity : Quarterly, Language : English & Hindi https://ijorr.in [ 66 ] Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta Fig. 3: Sketch and Water System in Thar Desert (Courtesy: After N.K. Sharma) During that period Ghaggar after crossing Bhatner used to flow in this form. Aurel Stein had observed that towards the north east side of Rangmahal, near Manik Theri the area looks like a large bay of the Ghaggar bed. Even today heavy rainfall in the Himachal mountainous regions creates havoc in Rajasthan and upper parts of Sind (Pakistan) through her vastness and submerging dry lands. Now, it is commonly addressed as ‘Nali’. The orbit of the width of this river Ghaggar-Hakra has always amazed the archaeologists and historians, both. Near Kalibanga site it covers a very large area and after Suratgarh it floods like an ocean. Wells found in the Shekhawati region (a Part of the Thar Desert in northern direction) in the north of Rajasthan are generally very deep. These structures are flanked by two, three and four slender towers which resemble minarets. This region has a vast agor (catchment) (Mishr, Anupam 2017: 30-31), which is well maintained even today by a trust, managed by the panchayat. The people of the area tell the travelers could easily spot talaies (tanks) in the desert. Those talaies, known as the ‘Shekhawati’ style wells, were similar to those found at Jaisalmer and many other places. Another lake named Ghadsisar in Jaisalmer was excavated in 1367 A.D. by the Bhati ruler, Rawal Ghadsi. After his death, Rani Vimla, his wife completed its construction. Ancient texts are filled with information of similar efforts. By that time, the rule of Bhatis and Varhas had ended and most of them moved from there to the Thar (southern sandy part of Rajasthan) and Kachchh (northern part of Gujarat). The power of the Panwars had also declined. This branch of Sutluj would meet the river Hakra at a junction now known as Marot, a town in the Bhawalpur-Pakistan district. One Bhati Prince, Rao Manday Ray had founded the fort and town of Marot on the bank of Hakra river and this town which now looks more or less like a deserted town, was a principal urban center of the Bhati kingdom, known as Ramel during the seventh and eighth centuries. It is interesting to note is that in the Indian subcontinent, the first major human settlements were established in the Indus Valley (3200-1700 B.C.) in the north-western India and Pakistan. Evidence of various water structures can be seen in both large and small Harappan sites. One can also see the evidence of both irrigation and drinking water supply systems at a large number of Harappan sites. Dholavira, an urban Harappan centre in Gujarat had several water reservoirs that collected rainwater. Similar evidence is also present at the Harappan sites of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. At Lothal (Gujarat) and other sites in north and western India, small bunds were built by the local people to store rainwater for irrigation and drinking purposes. International Refereed, Blind Peer-Reviewed Multidisciplinary & Open Access Research Journal Issue: 03 | Vol.: 12 | Jul.-Aug.-Sep. - 2025 | Pages: 63–68 | RRSSH | ISSN: 2348 – 3318 | Periodicity : Quarterly, Language : English & Hindi https://ijorr.in [ 67 ] Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta In the Indian subcontinent, the Gabarbands of Afghanistan, the Great Bath of Mohenjodaro, the water reservoirs of Dholavira and Lothal are the earliest examples of water structures. The Great Bath of Mohenjodaro and reservoirs of Dholavira are surely marvels of ancient hydraulic engineering. Besides, private and public wells have been discovered in several Harappan towns e.g., Harappa, Dholavira, Banawali and so on (Agrawal, D. P. 2009: 61). The Harappans made wells in most of their cities, which flourished between 4600 and 4000 years ago. Evidence of the Harappan wells can still be seen in the form of architectural remains at several excavated Harappan sites e.g., Kalibangan in Rajasthan, Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat and other places. The cylindrical wells were made of wedge shaped bricks (Joshi, J. P. 2008 : 114). At Dholavira they also made a well using dressed stones , which is perhaps the oldest known example of this kind in whole of South Asia. In their big towns, they made wells in many houses as well as at the public places. Michael Jansen (Jansen, Michael, 1993 : 177-192) has recorded about 700 wells alone at Mohenjodaro (See Fig. 4), a very large Harappan settlement in Pakistan. Citing the work of Jansen, McIntosh writes that: - “The huge number of wells at Mohenjodaro indicates that the city was too far from the river for convenience. Jansen (1987) suggests that pits dug to extract clay for construction filled with rainwater and may been used as an additional water sources for the city” (McIntosh, Jane R. 2008: 235) . Fig. 4: Harappan Period Well From Mohenjodar (Pakistan) (Courtesy) Conclusion The history of various complex water structures that were built during the medieval times such as tanks, wells and reservoirs can be traced back to the Harappans. As far as the engineering skill is concerned, Harappan technology appears to have survived up to the medieval times. The article, therefore, focuses on the gradual development of these engineering techniques. In it, there is an attempt to look at the various aspects of hydraulic engineering from the Harappan period to the 17th century A.D. There is need to study the traditional knowledge systems, which will help us understand the technology of the medieval structures and the contribution of the Harappans. In addition, it also focuses on the history and development of water structures in western India between 13th and 18th centuries A.D. There are ample examples of Harappans to Bhati kings and in western India that clearly demonstrate the interest of their rulers in excavating water bodies for irrigation, as well as for religious and other commonplace purposes. International Refereed, Blind Peer-Reviewed Multidisciplinary & Open Access Research Journal Issue: 03 | Vol.: 12 | Jul.-Aug.-Sep. - 2025 | Pages: 63–68 | RRSSH | ISSN: 2348 – 3318 | Periodicity : Quarterly, Language : English & Hindi https://ijorr.in [ 68 ] Art & Architecture of Rajasthan - A Case Study of Water Structures in Western India Krishan Pal Singh Deora, Kulsekhar Vyas & Mahesh Ameta References  Ranawat, Iswar Singh 2004. Rajatshan ke Jal Sansadhan. Udaipur: Chirag Publication.  Singh, K. P. 2008. The Lake of Udai Sagar. Rajasthan History Congress Proceeding. XXIV.  Singh, K. P. and J.S. Kharakwal 2010. 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