Jal Jharokha : Windows to Water
'Jal Jharokha' is a collaborative project between the Mehrangarh Museum Trust and the Living Waters Museum to visualize stories of water heritage from Mehrangarh Fort and the historic city of Jodhpur. 'Jal Jharokha' is derived from two Hindi words, which mean, 'Windows to Water'. We welcome you to explore the interplay of absence and abundance in the desert landscape of historic and contemporary Jodhpur.
Jodhpur
Curatorial note
Jodhpur, a city that sprung at the base of a rocky outcrop, was once under the sea. The wave imprints on Marwar's pink sandstone bear testimony to this journey in time. Around 630-542 million years ago, this sandstone lay under a shallow sea. Only around the 3rd millennium BCE did this land acquire its present semi-arid geography.
Mythological beliefs provide an interesting rationale to this transition. According to popular belief, Lord Rama prepared to strike an arrow at the sea to force it to make way for their journey to Lanka. In that moment, the God of the Sea appears and beseeches Rama to strike the arrow in another direction. Culturally, it is believed that the wrath of Rama's arrow converted a sea-bed into the present-day Thar desert.
Nature lives far far longer than us. Sand turns to rock. Sea turns into desert. Lakes dry but they may also spill.
By the 15th century, this region came to be known as the Kingdom of Marwar. Marwar means the 'land of death'. Jodhpur is also known as the Gateway to the Thar Desert. Mehrangarh Fort is at the heart of the Marwar kingdom. The landscape here is unforgiving. Rocky outcrops of red sandstone spread across present-day Rao Jodha Rock Park are the predominant colour nature affords. Belching heat waves during summer forebode the hostility one is about to encounter.
Absence plays with abundance in Jodhpur. In the relative absence of water, we find a cultural abundance of water. The people of Jodhpur and the state of Rajasthan have historically worked with nature and managed water wisely. This virtual exhibition celebrates the creative resilience of the people of Jodhpur who built a culture around water through architecture, craft, music, rituals and festivals.
The Jal Jharokha virtual exhibition is an unique attempt to bring the art of miniature painting in digital mode as part of user experience. Artworks by Vagaram Choudhary.
The virtual exhibition also showcases works done by participants of Jal Jharokha Workshop and a report that presents memories of the workshop. CLICK HERE TO VIEW.
