KATHMANDU, July 6
Hiti Pranali, a book about the ancient water system of the Valley, was launched amidst an event held in the Capital on July 6. Civil engineer Padma Sundar Joshi has penned the book which talks about efficiency and revival of the ancient hiti (stone water tap) system in the Valley.
Hitis have been around in the Valley since the Lichchhavi period.
Three big rajkulo (state water systems) - that begin from Budhanilkantha in Kathmandu, Tika Bhairav in Lalitpur, and Bageshwori in Bhaktapur - as well as smaller water systems are a part of the Valley's water system, informed Joshi at the event.
He also shared that the water system here is powered by underground water reservoir, ponds, and monsoon rain.
The earliest written mention of hiti is in the Sinagu Vihara of Swayambhu, which states that the Lichchhavi king Brisasdev was the one to establish this water system, he informed.
Joshi's book details the aforementioned things along with the technical workings of ancient hitis, their conservation, and the social customs that revolve around them.
The author also mentioned short snippets of these topics during the event.
"One particular incident that I remember is when I got sick and my mother took me to a faith healer," he said. "He told my mother: 'naag dosh cha naag lai puja garde' (he has been cursed by snake god and you should do an appeasement ceremony). So, I cleaned water spouts as a part of the ceremony. I don't know if this act cured me but this established fear of offending the snake gods prevented people from polluting their water sources and possibly preventing the culmination of water-borne diseases," Joshi shared.
He added that hitis are centuries old but possess elements of modern engineering.
"Our efforts should go into reviving such aspects of history and bring them together with modern concepts," Joshi said.
Chiri Babu Maharjan, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC), shared the efforts of government to revive hitis at the event while informing, "There is a huge pond inside Central Zoo, which is also the source of water for the stone taps in Dhobighat - Iku Hiti and Hiku Hiti. And because the pond in the zoo is well-maintained, these two stone taps never run out of water. It is proof that managing water sources in Lalitpur could also revive the stone taps in the City."
Meanwhile, sharing more about his book, Joshi informed that he has refrained from using complex words in Hiti Pranali so that it is understandable for everyone.
"It is important to share this knowledge," he said. "The more we talk about these hitis, the more we can conserve and revive them."
Hiti Pranali is published by Publication Nepalaya and is available for sale in major bookshops in the city.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 7, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
