https://www.indiawaterportal.org/groundwater/rainwater-harvesting/a-call-for-the-kalyani-how-digital-mapping-is-restoring-karnatakas-historic-stepwells https://media.assettype.com/indiawaterportal/2026-09-05/i3r7w6v5/BhoganandishwaratempleNandihills118.jpg Kalyani at Bhoganandishwara temple, Nandi hills, Bengaluru (Image: FES) https://media.assettype.com/indiawaterportal/2026-09-05/z0g90vgm/7.3-KBL-Chittapur-Dandotti-Kalyani.jpg Historic stepwells across Karnataka, such as the hexagon shaped Chittapura Dandoti Kalyani in Kalaburagi district, continue to serve as critical drinking water sources and ecological buffers when maintained by local communities. (Image: FES) https://media.assettype.com/indiawaterportal/2026-09-05/09huyqmk/Copy-of-Sri-Krishna.jpg Multi-tiered landings, arched niches, and precision stone masonry—a testament to how deeply water harvesting was integrated into the spatial planning of the past. (Image: FES) https://media.assettype.com/indiawaterportal/2026-09-05/hs61f9tx/01-KBL-Afzalpur-Tp-Bhairamadg-iGP.jpg Centuries of geometry and stone, carved directly into the earth to hold what matters most. Stepwells like this kalyani aren't just historical storage—they were community lifeblood, engineering marvels, and sacred spaces rolled into one. (Image: FES) https://media.assettype.com/indiawaterportal/2026-09-05/0xg0wa3r/1-Jain-Basadi-Halebidu-Belur-TP-Hassan-1.jpeg Stepping into layers of history. Shadow, stone, and arched chambers silent with the memory of water. (Image: FES) indiawaterportal en 2026-09-05T03:44:04.634Z A call for the Kalyani: How digital mapping is restoring Karnataka’s historic stepwells Karnataka stepwells, Kalyani restoration, Digital mapping water commons, Citizen science water conservation, Kalyanis of Karnataka, Groundwater recharge Karnataka, Traditional water harvesting India, Gram Panchayat Development Plans GPDP, Water stewardship Karnataka, Historic water commons India