NAULAS : The ancient water temples of the Himalayas

By Special Correspondent

With the Government giving a protected monument tag to the historic ‘naula’ of Syunrakot - the birthplace of Hindi Chhayavadi poet Sumitranandan Pant in Hawalbagh block of Almora – the naturally occurring water aquifers dotting the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand have once again come into focus.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken up the conservation work of the aquifer after the Union government issued a gazette notification in this regard. The ‘Syunrakot ka naula’ was built by Chand rulers -- a Hindu Rajput ruling clan of the Kumaon kingdom -- in the 14th and 15th centuries. 

The Himalayan region, well known as the “Water Tower of Asia”, has 33,000 sq km of glaciers. Uttarakhand, situated in the western Himalayas, is richly endowed with water.

With greater snow and ice cover than any other region on Earth, barring the North  and  South Poles, the glaciers and rivers that originate here provide water for over a billion people downstream.

Many traditional systems like Naula (little depression aquifer), Dhara (springs),  Gadhera (small river tributaries), Gul (traditional irrigation canals), Chal and Khal (artificial ponds on hilltops) to collect and supply water still persist in the villages of Uttarakhand. Among these, Naula and Dhara are the most important and are still used as the prime source of drinking water in many hilly areas of Uttarakhand, especially in the Kumaon division.

A Naula is a naturally- occurring water aquifer. It is a stone-lined tank which catches dripping water from springs and streams. It looks like a temple from outside and is equally regarded as such. Naula and Dhara have been considered as sacred in Uttarakhand’s tradition and culture. Sculptures of Lord Vishnu or any local deity are usually carved onto the walls of the Naula or Dhara to declare it a sacred site and prevent it from being polluted. The entrance of the Naula was always made small.

This was done to prevent animals from entering it and to ensure that only one person entered it at a time. On the other hand, Dharas are mostly protected by constructing boundary walls.

Uttarakhand is known for its traditional water-management practices. Rural communities here have historically been dependent on the area’s natural resources. Glaciers replenish their rivers, and thick oak forests help recharge groundwater. All of that is under threat today, and so is the culture that once helped maintain water security and keep their springs flowing.

Similar to the baolis or stepwells found elsewhere in the country, naulas are uniquely designed to fit local culture, climate and vegetation. Man-made structures, they have been providing local communities an almost-perennial source of clean drinking water for centuries; the oldest naula  found in Uttarakhand dates back
to 7 BCE.

In Kumaon, natural springs can emerge anywhere based on sub- surface water flows. A naula is built around a dhara by digging a hole to harvest its water and constructing stone walls around it for protection.

Naulas are fine examples of dry-masonry, stone architecture as well as the art and science of water purification. While the roof and walls are built using local stone, the floor is kept natural or lined with small  pieces  of  stone to allow filtration. Deeper naulas have steps to allow people to enter, and interestingly, you will always find they have an odd number of mossy steps -- three, five or seven.

Naulas are emblematic of the region’s rich culture. The four- sided roof resembles a temple, and many naulas house idols, carvings, and sculptures of gods and goddesses as well  as  lamps to guide thirsty souls at night. Families who don’t have a shrine at home often visit a naula, say their prayers, light a lamp and leave behind their offerings.

Many of these naulas in the Himalayan states, including Uttarakhand and Sikkim, have disappeared in the past decade. More than half of the perennial springs in the Garhwal  region of Uttarakhand have  dried  up or become seasonal, according to a 2017 survey by the Indian government’s think tank, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog).

Road development, hydroelectric projects, earthquakes in the region, large-scale deforestation, and changes in rainfall patterns and other climate shifts are some of the main reasons behind this. Dharas, or natural springs, can emerge from an aquifer through cracks in the Earth’s surface, or they can emerge from rocks and systems that have the porosity and permeability to retain water.

In the past, Himalayan communities held and passed on this local water knowledge. They also designed water-management systems around a deep reverence for water sources. All across the region, the temple-like naula structures were designed to collect water from underground springs.  Local rulers and elite families would dig a hole to access a spring, and then use local stone to construct walls to protect it. Usually, the  naulas  included a statue of a god like Vishnu and had designs carved on their facades.

The tiny, covered structures were usually accessed through a narrow opening and a short flight of stairs, so that cattle could not enter and pollute the water. People were not allowed to wash clothes or dirty the water around these structures either. In the past, naulas catered to the water needs of local communities, where worship of water was embedded in the local psyche.

Many local brides visited the naulas after their  weddings to offer their prayers and be blessed. Today these structures are ancient remnants of local architecture, as well as evidence of long-held ecological knowledge. But climate change is revealing the limits of these modern alternatives. Frequent floods and earthquakes in the region have blocked pipelines and dried up historic water sources. The Chamoli earthquake in 1999, for example, killed more than 100 people, and the shifting ground caused changes in water flow. So, too, with the floods in 2013, which killed more than 5,700 people.

Depletion of  natural  resources is one of the greatest challenges before human societies globally. Their conservation is important for the improvement of ecology. If India’s hilly areas such as Uttarakhand have to be protected from any major water crisis, it is very necessary to maintain and protect the old methods of water harvesting.