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Abstract

The water reservoirs and temple tanks have a hoary past in India. The concept of water reservoirs as public utility is first seen in “Great Bath” of the Indus-Sarasvati cities of Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Dholavira.1 In addition to this Saint Narada advised Yudhishthira, one of the heroes of the epic age Mahabharata, to excavate huge water reservoirs to preserve rain water and perennial river, which was in spate thereby making agriculture an independent with sustainable water reservoirs.2  In the Anusasana Parva of Mahabharata, Bhishma, the Son of Ganga Devi tells Yudishtra, the merits of building ponds: “he whose tank is full of water in summer and is used by human beings, animals and birds to slake their thirst, acquires the merits of an Aswamedha yaga. While the Mahabharata emphasises the importance of the gift of water “the gift of water is superior to every other gift.”3 Thus public reservoir and temple sacred tank regarded sustainable water resources and received its importance during the epic age.

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