Stories of Water

The wrestler’s edition

Quiet streets in the otherwise buzzing town of Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Hidden behind a cloud of dust caused by the passing vehicles are the remains of what once was a bustling street in the town’s centre. Now it has become merely another street of the ever-expanding streetscapes of urban India. Decades ago, these streets were an essential part of a trade and culture; they were the religious or political centre strategically placed and organised, to support and sustain the inhabitants and their guests.

The square leading to the Shri Nathji Temple, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

An essential part of the sustenance was the approachability to a perennial source or supply of drinking water. The water systems were designed across multiple scales, from privately owned sources to the community or town-level systems. The design, type, and use were governed by several factors involving land, climate, location, people and society, to name a few.

Inside the centuries old Dwarkadish Temple, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Covering one such street quietly sitting a few hundred metres from the hustle and bustle of the road leading to the market area in Nathdwara, Rajasthan; a place known for its Krishna temple and the famous Pichwai paintings. ‘Akhadas or vyamshalas’ (a place where traditional mud wrestling or kushti is practised, a traditional and culturally rooted form of what we call a gym today) are also an essential part of the cultural fabric of the town alongside the temples and their traditions.

Akhada is a place where traditional mud wrestling or kushti is practised. In the picture above is the wrestling or kushti pit at the Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

An akhada abandoned by humans and taken over by greens in Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Although the number is dwindling today, there are a few akhadas still spewed across the town. Nathdwara housed almost a hundred akhadas, to only a few that remain and function today, while most others are derelict or torn down. The akhada is designed to provide boarding and training space to the people who came to train or volunteer.

Trees in the courtyard are an essential part of the complexes, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Gated access with handpainted singnages, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Along the kilometre-long walk from the Dwarkadish Temple to Govind Chowk, one comes across many gated complexes with hand-painted signages. Walking past the gate and entering the complex, one finds canopies of trees like the Neem shading the path and transporting the passer-by into a realm far away from the buzz of the town. Although the akhadas size, scale, detailing, and complexity change from one to another. However, the common factors found across them were a religious shrine, wrestling (kushti) pit and a baori or stepwell or a well.

Baoris and kunds visited along the kilometre long stretch from the Dwarkadish temple to Govind Chowk, Nathdwara, Rajasthan. (base map source: google earth)

Shielded by the boundary wall lies the complex of Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, one of the few functionings akhadas on the street. Inconspicuous and shaded by tree cover, within the complex lies an akhada and its baoris.

Entrance of the Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

The three baoris are distinguished by function; the first one to the right while walking inside the entrance is meant to clean up and wash using soap, with a more open and approachable design to access and draw the water out. It is secluded and a little away from the main activities of the akhada.

Baori near the entrance where one can use soap for cleaning, Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

The second one on the left is partially covered with more accessible and broader steps to the main well on one side and narrower ones at the well’s mouth. Several turtles are seen swimming within this baori, and the water is used for drinking purposes.

Side entrance of the baori whose water is used for drinking purposes, Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Three of the ten turtles swimming in the baori, Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan. (There is a saying locally that spotting a turtle in a water body means its quality is good enough to be consumed)

The baori opposite the one for drinking is used for bathing without soap. The depth is relatively more profound than the other two baoris, with several smaller steps on two sides to approach the water and a platform over the steps is often used as a springing point to dive into the depths of the main well.

Narrow steps leading to the well of the baori used for bathing without soap, Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Prepping for the morning dip in the baori, Shri Amabavada Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Each of the three baoris has a set use and way of operating, whether removing one’s footwear before entering or restricting the use of soap; the water was devoid of things that could pollute or contaminate the supply. Maintaining the sanctity within a sanctuary the people at Shri Ambavada Akhada have created over the centuries. The sanctity of the space is seen with care and love that makes sure it is clean and taken care of.

Gated and covered baori of Shri Vallabh Ashram, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Today the vyamshalas or akhadas are disappearing, but the baoris are still standing strong filled with water. According to the locals, the baoris along the belt never seem to dry out or run out of water and often, you see them overflowing during the monsoon season.

Remains of a baori with bloomed algae in Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

The systems of Nathdwara are an example of individuals systems that function and work at a community level. Whether it is the make or the maintenance of the baoris. An infrastructure lies hidden behind walls, with immense potential to become a part of today’s systems.

Titu Daji Vyamshala, Nathdwara, Rajasthan.