CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

The Tank of Todarmal is a Mughal-period water structure situated in Raja Tal (Attari Road) in Amritsar district of Punjab, close to the India–Pakistan border. Constructed in 1582 CE under the patronage of Raja Todarmal, a diwan in Emperor Akbar’s court, the tank originally featured stepped ghats on all four sides, with bathing platforms at the corners and midpoints. Built of lakhori bricks set in lime mortar and plaster, the tank formed the nucleus around which the settlement developed. The structure is unprotected and survives in a severely deteriorated state, with only fragments of the steps and walls remaining; the tank has dried up and is now used for farming.

The Tank at Kosikalan (Pathwari Mandir) is a historic water tank located about 140 metres west of the old Grand Trunk Road, in the centre of Kosikalan town, Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, with Sarai Kosi (rest house) lying to its southeast. Of uncertain date and patronage, the rectangular tank is built of lakhori bricks, red sandstone, and lime mortar and is lined with ghats on all four sides, including octagonal extensions, a chhatri on the northern ghat, and small shrines on the southern ghat. The tank is unprotected and, while still used by local residents for daily and religious activities, suffers from poor maintenance of the ghats and deteriorating water quality due to garbage disposal.