By M S Nazki
-Water has always played an important role in the day-to-day life of every man. The need to tap groundwater, store rain water, and to make it accessible to the human population has led to the construction of several tanks, wells and baolis, which also became an epitome of the art and architecture of the local people!
-We hear stories of kings leaving behind their palaces due to lack of water; Most kings established their capitals on the banks of rivers. Jammu and Kashmir has many rivers flowing through it,
-A Bowlis is a reservoir in which water can be stored. It is also a source of groundwater. Numerous tanks and bowlis were commissioned by the ruling clans in which water was collected mainly during the rainy season and was then used throughout the year by the people in the neighbourhood.
-Separate baolis were constructed for drinking and bathing purposes. Bowlis were often constructed close to mosques and temples. People washed and bathed before prayers. Some Hindu ceremonies were performed at the baolis by women, who prayed and made their offerings here.
-As the name suggests, the step-well has a series of steps which lead down to the ground level where the water is stored. The steps also enabled accessibility to water during summers when the water level went down. In India, baolis are mainly found in the arid north-western region due to the scarcity of water there.
-Some bowli were designed only for the purpose of water storage, others to provide shelter to travellers and caravans. These baolis were designed with rooms on the higher floors, with a dalan (colonnaded veranda) supported on columns. Such step-wells were also used as shaded spaces for social interaction where discussions could be held.
-The architectural form of a bowli mainly consists of three elements: the well in which the water is collected, the flight of steps to reach the ground water through several stories, and intermediate pavilions. Baolis have a history that goes back several millennia. The Great Bath at Mohenjodaro, which was built more than 4,000 years ago,may be considered a form of bowli as it also consisted of a tank fed by a well and accessed by steps.
Firstly a few words about the Pir Panjal Valley:
– It is a mountain range in the northern Indian subcontinent.
-It starts in Ramban and extends westward in the south of Jammu and Kashmir (Vale of Kashmir) to the last extremity of Muzaffarabad District.
-It isrising sharply to an average elevation of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).
-It separates the Jammu Hills to the south from the Vale of Kashmir, beyond which lie the Great Himalayas.
-It separates itself from the Himalayas near the bank of the Sutlej river and forms a divide between the rivers Beas and Ravi on one side and the Chenab on the other.
-Major passes: Six historical passes, Hajipir Pass, Gulabgarh Pass, Ratanpur Pass, Pir Panjal Pass, Banihal Pass, and Bairam Gala Pass are in this mountain range.
-Important peaks: Deo Tibba (6,001 m) and Indrasan (6,221m) are two important peaks at the eastern end of the mountain range.
-Many kings, chieftains and people have travelled in the Pir Panjals but Bowlis still remain the favorite haunt!
In Peer Panjal , we are close to nature , Bowlis here are a square shaped with slate stone steps in some cases with walls and roof ,the natural,sweet,clean,freshwater source amidst the hills of Peerpanjal is called “Bowli ” or ‘Baan’ in local dialect Gujjari and pahari Dogri
these Bowlis fulfil their daily water requirements of public in Peerpanjal before Nal say Jal and was an important source of local news shared by women with each other while filling water.women of the neighborhood usually collect water and carry it to homes in customary utensils, washing up clothes drinking and other day today use .
From the turn of dawn to dusk where women and men collect water respectively .These bowlis / baan serve the people as a freshwater source, for it is said the water in the mountains is never polluted and is clean.
-These well-established water bodies are accompanied with prayer places irrespective of religion.In same cases there are picture curved on walls of these Bauali.The freshwater flowing out of hills used to be diverted towards a well-built pool where people use it to bathe or make it convenient to quench the thirst .During marriage ceremony, women wake up at dusk carry a Pot on head locally known as ‘beer kari’ to fill the pot for bath of Bride or bridegroom, they sing folk songs and to do the chorus together, vis. collecting water and carrying it to homes in Pot and distributing sweet to each other.
After the facilties of water provided at household level or public posts .These Bowalis lack maintenance and are left to be sustained only on the mercy of localities . However in old golden days, these Bowali were cleaned in the evening of Thursday, which means Jumay raat and in some case candles(Deva) were/are lit and some sweets (turn by turn) distributed by locals while cleaning the Bowali!
Through the passage of time, bowils not only became the main source of drinking water but also a cool sanctuary for prayers, meditation, bathing, and other such multiple forms of relaxation and recreation. This system of water collection was further modified with the advent of Islam in terms of its architecture and decorative elements. The nineteenth century saw a fast decline in the use of step-wells as the British felt these to be unhygienic sources of water and started using pipelines.
