जलहारी / Jalahari - Water Bearer
Paintings and posters of women carrying water pots through rural India are a familiar sight. In many villages, fetching water from wells, ponds, or rivers remains a daily chore for women. This is often seen as a symbol of resilience, tradition and cultural heritage, with women carrying multiple pots and/or balancing them on their heads.
While access to sustainable water resources has improved over the years, the reality is that many still lack clean, running water, particularly on the outskirts of urban areas. As a result, countless women and girls bear the burden—sacrificing education, enduring harsh weather, and facing systemic inequalities.
This imagery, though deeply woven into tradition, should eventually belong only to art, perhaps like this one, and preserved as a cultural memory rather than an accepted reality of modern life.
While access to sustainable water resources has improved over the years, the reality is that many still lack clean, running water, particularly on the outskirts of urban areas. As a result, countless women and girls bear the burden—sacrificing education, enduring harsh weather, and facing systemic inequalities.
This imagery, though deeply woven into tradition, should eventually belong only to art, perhaps like this one, and preserved as a cultural memory rather than an accepted reality of modern life.
