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| World Heritage Day |
Haryanas cultural heritage, apart from its aesthetics, has been known for its utilitarian incline, and according to the INTACH officials, water storage and catchment structures like the step-wells of the 18th century can still teach us about efficient water harvesting methods.
Water has been an important resource in all settlements. And many indigenous water systems and catchment areas have been lost over the years, said Shikha Jain, state convener for INTACH Haryana.
Jain said in the last few centuries, such step-wells were constructed keeping the cyclical availability of water firmly in mind. They used to act as storage areas, and during the dry seasons, they used to act as reservoirs. But most importantly, these step wells used to add to the water table and helped bring up the groundwater level quite substantially, added Jain.
Gurgaon, and more famously Rewari, still harbor several 18th century stone-built step-wells, many of which are still lying in a decrepit state. There is an old Johara well, which is a sort of a step well with ramps on the sides, in Sector 17. We have plans of restoring that, said an INTACH official.
The renovation work on the well-known Solah Rahi, a step well in Rewari, which dates back to the mid 1700s, will also begin on the occasion of World Heritage Day. We will begin the restoration work on Solah Rahi on Monday, and will repair the embankment and the retaining walls completely, said the official, adding that a sum of Rs 32 lakhs has been awarded to INTACH by the state government for this particular restoration project.
To mark the World Heritage Day, INTACH Haryana is also organising a heritage walk in Ambala on Monday, to highlight the cultural and natural heritage of the army town. We will have two separate walks on Monday, one in the cantontment area, and the other in Ambalas Sadar Bazaar. We are also planning an exhibition on the heritage of Haryana in the same place, said the official.
