Fort's Water Wisdom

Mehrangarh Fort is evidently the oldest and first formal residence in Jodhpur and to date, it consumes rainwater collected through its historic water conservation system. This is a unique, indigenously engineered system that combines landscape and gigantic architectural elements which have made Mehrangarh Fort self-sufficient, in terms of its water supply, 500 years ago. Through this story as a virtual tour, you are invited to explore the water trail from the catchment area to the water pot in the Fort.

Background

Pag Pungal Dhad Merte, Baaheyeinn Bayadmer;
Bhulo Chuko Jodhpur, Thaavo Jaisalmer.

(My) feet are in Pugal, torso in Merta, shoulders are Barmer. When I lose my way, you can ﬁnd me in Jodhpur too but I truly reside in Jaisalmer.' This phrase explains the geography of the Thar desert and the location of Jodhpur which exists at one end of the Thar Desert. Thinking about a city in the desert, it is intuitive to think about access to water, especially in parts of India where 80-90 percent of rainfall occurs only within a few months of the year. This phenomenon creates the need to conserve rain water for the rest of the year. Hence it was crucial for Rao Jodha, the founder of Mehrangarh Fort, to think about water harvesting while setting up the Fort.

In the 15th century, Rao Jodha chose Pachetia Hill for the construction of Mehrangarh Fort as it was ideal from a security perspective and also there then existed a waterfall from the rocky terrain of the hill. However, this waterfall was the hermitage site of Saint Chidiya Nath Ji. According to popular belief, Chidiyanathji initially cursed Rao Jodha that there would be drought and famine conditions in his state if they built the Fort. Thus, decisions and steps were taken to conserve rainwater in and around Mehrangarh Fort in all possible ways. This water system is one of the core aspects of the construction of Mehrangarh Fort, which ensured water supply to meet the needs of the Fort centuries ago when mechanical or electrical technologies did not exist.

Where it all began

An important water body in the interior of Mehrangarh Fort is Chidiya Nath Ji ka Tanka/Hauz̦. This is found near the hermitage site of Chidiya Nath Ji, which was historically the meditation space of Saint Chidiya Nath Ji. The main source of water for this Hauz was the rainwater which came down as a waterfall from the rocky facade of Mehrangarh Fort and then via the small channel that still runs parallel to the rocky facade. This water body is associated with the historical origin of Mehrangarh Fort and the historic city of Jodhpur.

There were other kunds located at the entrance of Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada known as Rasolai Kund and Dev Kund respectively which captured rainwater from the hilly region of the premises, providing a source of water for people residing adjacent to them.

Water stored in the Chidiyanathji ka Haus.

Key features of Mehrangarh Fort's water system

The hill, its rocky terrain and the natural gradient allows water to naturally flow from one catchment to another thus allowing water to reach different water bodies and locations. Water was then drawn out from these catchments and was transported to different places by either mechanical engineering, which included aqueducts and persian wheels, or other means of manual lifting. These ideas integrated with the landscape and architecture of the Fort ensured water access, movement and availability. This water system is more than five centuries old; however, even today when there is heavy rain in the monsoon season, the landscape comes alive and the water flows through the historic pathways towards the Fort's water reservoir.

Dhobi Kund

The Catchment Area

These valleys around Mehrangarh serve as the catchment area for its brilliant water management system. The Dhobi Kund catchment area is nestled in the midst of the various hills northeast of the city and augments the catchment of Ranisar in the southern direction as well as Sursagar in the western direction. The catchment spreads over rocky outcrops of red sandstone. During monsoons, streams of water flow like veins across this terrain towards a walled enclosure.

Rainwater collected in the catchment area of the Dhobi Kund

Hathi Nahar

A rock-cut canal controlling water flow

The Hathi Nahar or elephant canal, is a long drain that acts as a channel connecting the catchment area to Ranisar Lake, a key part of Jodhpur's water management system. This canal widens into a high wall of rocky outcrops. Here, the running water learns to walk. The speed of water is calibrated to allow ease of entry into Ranisar Lake.

Water flowing across Hathi Nahar post heavy rain

Entry to Ranisar Lake

Harvesting the running water

Water from Hathi Nahar enters Ranisar Lake via an opening in the Fort wall. Right before this opening is a dip in the rocky terrain which acts as a sedimentation spot for water flowing by thus, also acting as a natural filtration system. As Ranisar Lake is situated in the natural catchment area, it was an accessible zone for any army if they attacked Mehrangarh Fort, so Rao Maldeo got a wall constructed to barricade Ranisar. We can see three different kinds of masonry which show its construction in different eras.

Fort wall through which water enters into Ranisar Lake

Arahat (Persian Wheels)

Lifting and transporting water

The Arahat (Persian wheel) is a mechanical water-lifting device operated usually by draught animals like bullocks, buffaloes, or camels. It is used to lift water from water sources, typically open wells. In Sanskrit, the word Araghatta has been used in ancient texts to describe the Persian Wheel. The 'ara-ghatta' comes from the combination of the words 'ara' meaning spoke and 'ghatta' meaning pot. In 1846 (V.S. - 1903), Maharaja Takhat Singh Ji got a bastion constructed at Ranisar Lake, on which the first Persian wheel was installed.

Many forts in ancient India were perched on a hillock or a rocky citadel. Water harvesting was common but also the Persian wheel was installed to lift water from lakes below through several steps to the top of the fort itself. Mehrangarh Fort is an example where the Persian wheel was used to obtain water from wells and also water bodies at lower levels.

Ranisar has five small wells underneath its base level called kuiyaan. These tapped into the underground water table, and provided water during the hot, dry months when the lake's waters were not adequate.

Ranisar the lake inside the fort

Aqueducts & Tanks

Transporting & storing water

Through the Persian wheel water was lifted and the idea was to bring water from Ranisar Lake to different levels in the Fort. This system followed vertical movement via Persian wheels with a garland of buckets around them and horizontally via aqueducts that were made on slopes to take water to nearby tanks. The tank is where the water will be stored and it might be directly used from the tank or carried further by another water wheel to the next level above.

A water wheel, aqueduct and tank visible on top of the well next to Chokelao well complex.

Drinking water in the fort

Storing and consuming water

Before the 19th century, water was manually fetched and carried from Ranisar until the Persian Wheel system's arrival and this was eventually followed by pipelines. Back then, water was stored in large pots. The archival records of the Fort show a group of women identified as Meheriyan who were specifically assigned to transport water around the Fort using matkas or ghadas (pots). Drinking water vessels were always kept near the entrance of Rajasthani households to offer water to visitors and guests, which is considered a gesture of warmth and a tradition to welcome people. Following the same gesture, the Fort also had huge vessels kept near different Pols containing drinking water which was offered to visitors at the Fort.

Archival record of the purchasing of the pot; Imprints on the pot says it was made in Ahmedabad in 1788

Connected Lakes

Accessibility of Water

Right after one year of the laying of the foundation of Jodhpur Fort, Rao Jodha's senior-most queen Rani Jasmade Haadi Ji started the construction of the historic Ranisar Lake. Padamsar Lake was built a little later in the adjacent valley to Ranisar by Rani Uttamde Sisodini Ji during Rao Maldeo's time. Although some people maintain, that it was sponsored by a city merchant called Padam Seth. An outlet was provided in the enclosure fortification wall of Ranisar towards Padamsar at a slightly lower level than the top level of Ranisar so that the overflow of Ranisar reached Padamsar.

Two connected lakes visible across the Mehrangarh Fort wall

Modern Period

The traditional water management system continued until the introduction of a public water system in 1897 by the British. This was the beginning of a centralizing water supply system subject to the demands of a growing population, particularly after Jodhpur was merged with the Indian Republic. Today, Jodhpur is heavily reliant on an external water supply from the Indira Gandhi Nahar (canal) which draws water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam in Punjab.

Credits: Illustrations by Shreya Rajmane and Roshini Patil (Jal Jharokha Workshop December 2021 participants). Animated by Ashna Shah. Panoramic photography by Somya Parikh