###Prosperity through Rainwater Harvesting by the Paliwal Community*

While the onset of rain in the country brings news of floods, broken dams, and streets filled like rivers, in the Thar Desert of Jaisalmer, the experienced farmers of the Paliwal community historically collected and preserved rainwater. They used this water not only for drinking but also effectively utilized the saved water for agriculture and livestock, achieving prosperity. This serves as an inspiring lesson for today's society and government officials involved in rainwater harvesting.

The Paliwals treated water with great reverence, preventing every drop from being wasted. They built ponds for drinking water and created thousands of small dams called **khadins** to store the remaining water. This stored water was then channeled to the fields for irrigation. The Paliwal farmers were Brahmins who settled in Jaisalmer centuries ago, migrating from Pali. They possessed Vedic knowledge, which enabled them to conserve and use the scarce rainwater in the desert effectively.

A **khadin** is a type of pond constructed in a sloping area, with a bund or barrier built in the opposite direction to collect and store water. These khadins facilitated irrigation of thousands of bighas of land through channels. The local term for plowing fields is **khadna**, and over time, the term for their dams became **khadin**. These dams, even after many years, remain strong and functional, showcasing remarkable construction techniques and architectural design.

Using rainwater, farmers were able to harvest two crops a year. During the rainy season, they grew guar, mung bean, moth bean, sesame, bajra (pearl millet), and matira (a type of melon). In the winter season, they cultivated wheat, chickpeas, and mustard. Although the Paliwals eventually left Jaisalmer, their ponds, wells, stepwells, khadins, temples, houses, and cremation sites still stand today as a testament to their heritage. Water conservation continues in these areas even after hundreds of years, setting a remarkable example.

The khadins also contributed to recharging the groundwater with sweet water, raising the water table, and ensuring ample water in nearby wells during the summer. Prosperous through their agricultural earnings due to water conservation, the Paliwals built two-story houses from stone, solid dharmshalas (rest houses), chhatris (cenotaphs), and other structures with wide roads, indicating their affluence. They were so wealthy that they could even lend money to kings.

The water conservation methods of the Paliwal community benefitted the desert environment significantly. It supported local wildlife and boosted livestock rearing, including cows, goats, sheep, and camels, as well as the growth of plants and grass. The prosperity brought by rainwater conservation in the Paliwal community should serve as a lesson for the government and society to raise awareness and promote water conservation.