Hydro-Ritual Materialities: A Critical Archaeological Inquiry into Votive Tanks in South Asia

Ankit Chanchal

Votive tanks, whether as ritual installations associated with water, constitute a significant yet underexplored facet of material culture in the Indian subcontinent. These objects are frequently perceived as symbolic offerings or architectural imitations of sacred water features such as temple tanks (Kunda, Pushkarini) and stepwells (Baoli), operating at the intersection of ritual practice, religious symbolism, and socio-cultural interaction. This research critically examines votive tanks not merely as passive reflections of sacred landscapes but as active agents in shaping ritual significance and embodied religious experiences. Drawing upon archaeological findings, iconographic depictions, and textual sources, this paper investigates the conditions under which votive tanks were created, and utilized, it emphasizes their material characteristics, dimensions, and spatial positioning within ritual environments, including temples, pilgrimage sites, and domestic shrines. By situating these objects within broader hydrological and cosmological contexts, where water possesses purifying, generative, and transitional properties, the study challenges simplistic interpretations that confine them to mere symbolic representations. Furthermore, this paper explores the ritual intentions and identities embedded within these offerings. It considers the possibility that votive tanks facilitated access to sacred water for individuals or groups excluded from larger institutional settings, thereby complicating prevailing narratives of religious participation. Through a critical examination of gendered and subaltern perspectives, the study highlights how these objects might represent alternative forms of devotion and agency. This research argues that votive tanks should be regarded as dynamic ritual artifacts that embody the connections between humans, water, and the sacred, offering new insights into the cultural and archaeological significance of water in Indian religious traditions.