Sustainability of Traditional Rock-Cut Water Management System: Case of Kanheri Buddhist Caves, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Heritage is not just limited to the monument level. Nature and culture must always coexist with heritage to create a sense of place and identity. Sustainability and cultural heritage are closely linked. India has the richest traditional water architecture in the world. Rock-cut caves of Western Ghats provide us with valuable lessons on managing and conserving water resources efficiently. The “Podhi” (water cisterns) was carved in the basalt rock during the satavahana period with incredible sensitivity toward the environment and the importance of coexistence. The paper focuses on the traditional water management system at the Kanheri Rock-cut Buddhist Cave complex, Mumbai, one of the major rock-cut Buddhist sites in Western India. The paper aims to trace the traditional water management system and how the traditional knowledge system is an example of sustainable practice in the modern context. The objective is to understand the ancient mechanism that governs traditional water management systems and to study how these resources can use in sustainable practice for the benefit of society and future generations. The study is based on fieldwork, architectural documentation, and secondary sources for the archival data. Considering that heritage studies involve multidisciplinary approaches, the current research involves mixed-methods data collection and analysis. Inventories and photo documentation are used to gather built heritage data. The findings reveal that the ancient water system of Kanheri was developed by natural resources, and it is reflected in the water architecture and can contribute to the sustainability of the surrounding for future demands.