PI: Palak Babel | Collaborators: Gargi Joshi, Kurush Canteenwala, and Shubham Mishra
Project ID: 2023SG02 | Location of Research: Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India | Host Institution: Sambhaav Trust
Millions of years ago, Jaisalmer lay beneath the ancient Tethys Ocean, a submerged world locals still honour as Hakdo. Fossil-laden rocks whisper of this primordial sea, while oral traditions weave tales of divine rivers and shifting sands, echoing the climatic upheavals of the Late Quaternary. In today’s hyper-arid Thar Desert, where rainfall barely reaches 100–150 mm annually, Jaisalmer’s communities have thrived through an ingenious water wisdom honed over generations. This wisdom is captured in a nuanced taxonomy: palaar paani, surface water, rejwaani paani, held above an impermeable layer known as meth, represents shallow, unconfined aquifers. These are tapped through shallow-lined and unlined wells like namadas, beris, baoris, and rejwaani talas, and rely on seasonal recharge. Pataali paani is found in confined aquifers, often accessed via deep wells known as pataali kuans. These aquifers, under pressure and low recharge, yield brackish water due to extended rock-water interaction. These practices, rooted in a profound understanding of the desert’s geology, mirror modern hydrogeological principles and blend intuition with science. The wells are utilitarian but are rooted in the culture and traditions, fostering deep ties to the land and sustaining life in an unforgiving landscape.
Rejwaani beris continue to be constructed today, but increasingly rely on precast concrete rather than traditional materials. Rising costs and the gradual loss of artisanal knowledge drive this shift. The specialised skills once essential for constructing both shallow and deep wells are now in decline, as communities become more dependent on external assistance and government schemes, moving further away from investing in local expertise and time-honoured practices. The impact of unprecedented development (industrialisation and urbanisation), including piped-water supply through canals and solar and wind energy projects and mining activities, has compounded these challenges, disrupting the ecological balance essential for sustainable water systems. The artisanal skills to build and maintain these systems are fading, as are the cultural bonds they nurtured.
This project aimed to document the traditional knowledge systems associated with well-making in western Rajasthan, focusing particularly on the pataali kuan (deep wells) and beris (shallow wells) prevalent in regions surrounding Jaisalmer and other districts of the Thar desert. Field surveys were undertaken from October 2023 to March 2025, encompassing approximately 91 administrative villages within the Jaisalmer district and documenting around 350 wells. While active well-making practices were largely absent in Jaisalmer during the study period. Well-makers, or karigaars, contributed valuable insights; many of them had prior experience working in Jaisalmer. The Jaisalmer sites included urban settlements as well as remote villages, some of which hold historical significance. In Barmer, the focus was on documenting the techniques employed in constructing cast in-situ concrete beris.
The project conducted an extensive survey, revisiting locations across different seasons to capture variations in usage and context. The communities engaged ranged from farmers to pastoralists and included individuals involved in well-making practices. We worked with various communities, like Bhils, Jains, Jats, Kumbhars, Maganiyaars, Mali, Meghwals, Megwasis, Muslims, Paliwal Brahmins, Rajputs, Silavathsr, Sindhis, Suthars, out of the approx 36 castes that lived in the erstwhile princely state of Jaisalmer. A strong emphasis was placed on ethical engagement throughout the project. The research team embedded itself in community. Local collaborators, including elderly community members and younger individuals, played a vital role in navigating the field, providing contextual understanding, and serving as translators. Consent was obtained at every stage, and community gatekeepers were consulted in all villages before any documentation activities were carried out, and post-production data was reviewed by senior members in the community. By blending science and storytelling, this project aims to honour the resilience of desert communities and inspire sustainable futures in arid lands.
A short film explaining the relationship between the Thar communities and their groundwater systems.
Methodology
The project’s methodology was multi-scalar, ethnographic, and spatially informed documentation. Site selection was guided by historical topographic surveys (such as Survey of India sheets), archival sources, which included pre-Independence gazetteers, accounts from ministers of the erstwhile princely state of Jaisalmer, travelogues by British officers, oral histories and community knowledge, and satellite imagery. This comprehensive approach incorporated ground-truthing, seasonal revisits, and comparative analyses of traditional and contemporary groundwater sources.
Key data collection methods included:
- Oral histories and knowledge recorded through unstructured and semi-structured interviews with elders, well-makers, pastoralists, and homemakers from various communities in the Thar.
- Participatory demonstrations conducted with well-makers or their family members, who shared their construction methods, allowing for the documentation of contemporary practices as a means to draw parallels with traditional approaches.
- Audiovisual documentation and drawings captured various well typologies observed across the district and their uses.
- Photogrammetric surveys and 360-degree imagery provided valuable insights into the wells and their surrounding areas.
- Archival mapping and GPS-referenced field mapping generated a comprehensive geospatial dataset.
- Seasonal observations of water levels and water movement across the district.
- Documentation of the festivals and cultural practices associated with water and groundwater systems in the region.
Selected Assets
The following provide an overview of the documentation modalities.
Archive
Project research team in conversation with the residents of Neemba. By Aabha Chhajer.
Drawings
A sketch illustrating the hydrological process of rain recharging a beri. By Palak Babel.
Culture and faith
Lighting lamps is integral to many ceremonies in the region. By Aabha Chhajer,
Interviews
The interview details the process of constructing a beri, emphasising the careful selection of location and the layers of soil encountered during digging, which impact water quality for farming. By Aabha Chhajer.
People
Used food utensils in several households are cleaned with sand instead of water. By Aabha Chhajer.
Essays and field notes
An essay exploring the geological evolution of Jaisalmer and its profound influence on the development of water systems in the arid desert environment. By Gargi Joshi.
Environment and seasonality
Women made multiple trips to the beri throughout the day, depending on the household’s requirements. By Aabha Chhajer.
Well usage
Building and repair
A timelapse of numerous activities occurring at a beri making site. By Palak Babel.
Well components
A pastoralist’s well (pataali kuan) and kodh (lifting apparatus). By Farhad Contractor.
Topographic markers
A group of carved topographic markers with inscriptions. By Aabha Chhajer.
Ambient sound
Members from the Manganiyar community singing a song about women longing for her husband to come back while its raining around her. The instruments used by musicians include a kartal, dholak and harmonium. By Palak Babel.
3D Objects
A photogrammetric model of an ekal kheli, a single stone hand-carved trough. By Palak Babel.
Raw materials
Stone fragments made while dressing stones in rubble masonry are often collected to fill gaps and assist in levelling and providing structural support. By Aabha Chhajer.
Tools
Sawal, or plumbob, is a weighted metal object tied to a rope used to determine vertical alignment within the well shaft. By Aabha Chhajer.
Design variations
Acknowledgements from the Project Team
This project would not have been possible without the dedication of the following individuals and groups.
Kurush Canteenwala, as a collaborator, led the audiovisual documentation and its post-production phases. Shubham Mishra, also a collaborator, focused on developing the GIS database and conducting spatial analyses. Gargi Joshi, another collaborator, managed the project’s technical and ecological aspects.
The community collaborators and team members from the Host Institution served as essential research advisors, translators, informants, and technical and administrative support throughout the project’s duration. This included Chattar Singh Jam, Raja Ram Dheru ji, Keshav ji, Jeevan Singh ji (all local community members), and Ashis Panda, Pranav Pandya, and Jeevan Makwana (from the Host Institution). Research assistants supported transcription, translation, annotation, and photogrammetric processing. Various research assistants were involved throughout the work’s different stages. Mehtab ji (local community member) was involved in on-field data collection and review. Aabha Chhajer was involved in on-the-ground audiovisual data collection and processing. Monika Bhatnagar handled some part of the field data collection, Saikat Das handled photo and video editing, and Anuskha Kale managed post-processing during specific project phases. Translators, including Babu Ram ji, Hema Ram, Himansha Soni, Insaaf Khan, Mahendra Singh, Nitish Kumar, and Rajeshree Shekhawat, provided language support.
Local historians (Tanay Singh ji), well makers/karigaars, geologist (Chinmay thite and his team), and conservationists were periodically consulted to contextualise and review field data. Our local drivers like Dayam Khan ji, Indarjeet ji, Shaitan Singh ji and Parmanand ji were an extended part of our field surveys. And last but not least, thanks are owed to the countless participants throughout the project whose knowledge is preserved in the collection.