Exhibition puts spotlight on Rajasthan’s water systems

A four-day exhibition in Delhi showcases Rajasthan's traditional water systems, highlighting their cultural significance and relevance in climate times.

New Delhi: Rajasthan’s parched landscapes, where water has long shaped both survival and culture, has served as the focal point for an interdisciplinary initiative aiming to spark conversations about the future by delving into the past.

A four-day exhibition opened at the Alliance Française de Delhi on Sunday and runs through March 25 (Photo for representation)

In that light, a four-day exhibition on Rajasthan’s traditional water systems, featuring stepwells and rainwater harvesting, opened at the Alliance Française de Delhi on Sunday and runs through March 25.

Called “Paani Ki Kahaani”, the project blends architecture, storytelling and community engagement and showcases Rajasthan’s traditional water systems of Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer while highlighting their relevance in an era of climate stress.

The project aligns with International Water Day and is featured as part of the France–India Year of Innovation. Through films, comics and participatory workshops, it captures the ingenuity of historic water practices — ranging from stepwells and lakes to tanks and rainwater harvesting systems, organisers said.

Led by Professor Ritu G. Deshmukh along with French architects and filmmakers Célia Lebarbey and Marylène Negro of D’un Autre Oeil, and supported by Anuj Kale and Shreya Khandekar of The Leewardists, the initiative has travelled across Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer.

“The project is a culmination of research conducted between 2021 and 2024 by architecture students. We chose Rajasthan because everyone knows it as a dry and arid state. People there have used baolis (stepwells) to preserve and conserve water,” Deshmukh told HT on Sunday.

Deshmukh said the British brought the piped system of water to India and called the water of baolis unhygienic. “With this perception, their usage gradually declined, and it also impacted the rituals and practices associated with them,” she added.

The project has brought together architecture students, artists, filmmakers and local communities, creating a collaborative platform to explore how these systems once sustained life in one of India’s driest regions.

Anuj Kale said following this project, they will now undertake a similar initiative on Rahads of Nashik. They have already mapped various and will undertake a three year project to bring their stories to life with a similar initiative, he said.

Rahads are historic underground tanks or pools closely tied to Rangpanchami celebrations in Nashik, Kale said.

The BVCOA in Navi Mumbai, Aayojan School of Architecture in Jaipur, The City Palace of Udaipur, Maharana Mewar Public School, Rockwoods School and the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in Jaisalmer, along with the CITTA Foundation, have provided institutional support. Organisers say the aim has been to bridge education, heritage and creative practice to build awareness around water conservation.

The initiative also received international recognition with the Trophée de l’Écoresponsabilité 2025 from the Fondation des Alliances Françaises, enabling the development of a culminating exhibition.