IN SEARCH OF LOST WATER
IN SEARCH OF LOST WATER
Presented by Red Earth as part of The Monsoon Festival 4
In Association with Delhi Walks
IN ONE-LINE
Re-discovering the old baolis and water bodies of Delhi.
CURATED BY
Himanshu Verma & Shruti Narayan
DATES AND TIMINGS
Sunday 30 August 2009; 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm
1:30 pm: Collect at meeting point
5:30 pm: Walk finishes at meeting point
VENUE
Meeting Point: Outside Parking Lot, Hauz Khas Village
(Please park your cars here, the group will proceed in a bus from here)
ENTRY DETAILS
Contribution: Rs. 250. Register in advance.
For registration contact Shruti Narayan / shrutin@gmail.com / 9999913924
Himanshu Verma / himanshu@redearthindia.com / 41764054
Please carry the following: umbrella / hat, water, tea, fruits / snacks.
Wear comfortable footwear.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
In a city plagued with water problems, and in a world where water is constantly depleting, In Search of Lost Water takes you to water bodies of medieval Delhi to highlight traditional wisdom in water conservation and management.
The baolis (step-wells) of Delhi, scientifically designed to harvest rainwater and conserve it for use throughout the year, are in a state of disuse. Delhi has historically been a city with issues of water shortage, but in the present day, this problem has reached acute proportions. Can the Baolis and old reservoirs of Delhi help in solving the water problems of the city?
The baolis, besides being structures to store water and recharge the underground aquifers, were also an integral part of community life as people would gather and spend hot summer afternoons in the cool underground of the Baolis.
The walk takes you to baolis spread over the modern city of Delhi, built across the centuries by different dynasties, belonging to the different historic cities of Delhi. Why doesn’t New Delhi have its own Baolis? Why has it not kept the old baolis alive (reviving and cleaning the baolis is estimated to cost much less than what we spend on modern irrigation systems) to make sure Delhi-wallahs have more water?
We will discover lost community spaces, hear the laughter still echoing in the step-wells, eavesdrop on gossip, in search of lost water…
SCHEDULE
1:30 pm – Meet outside Parking Lot, Hauz Khas Village
(Please park your cars here, the group will proceed in a bus from here)
2:15 pm – Agrasen ki Baoli, Hailey Road (Raja Agrasen / Circa 1132 AD)
3:00 pm – Hazarat Nizamuddin ki Baoli, Nizamuddin (Circa 1321 AD)
4:15 pm – Rajon ki Baoli, Mehrauli (Sikander Lodhi / 1516 AD)
5:30 pm- Walk Finishes at Hauz Khas Village
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
5:30 pm – Hauz Khas Reservoir (Ala-ud-din Khilji / 1296 AD)
7:00 pm – Early Dinner at Gunpowder, Hauz Khas Village
(Peninsular kitchen at Haus Khas Village, reviving south India’s forgotten flavours)
(Dinner at individual’s cost. Please let us know beforehand so we may book a table.)
Comments off
