Paani ki Kahaani
About the Exhibition
The exhibition represents the culmination of a three-year research project conducted across Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer, exploring Rajasthan’s remarkable traditional water systems and their relevance to contemporary climate resilience. The research now comes together in a comprehensive exhibition presented as part of the celebration of International Water Day at Alliance Française de Delhi on 22 March 2026.
The exhibition will remain open to the public from 23 to 25 March 2026.
This collaborative initiative has been developed by Dr. Ritu Deshmukh, architect and researcher at BVCOA College, Navi Mumbai, in partnership with Alliance Française de Jaipur, The Leewardists, D’Un Autre Œil, Aayojan School of Architecture, ENSA Paris La Villette, ENSA Toulouse, and the Jaipur Virasat Foundation.
Through research documentation, visual storytelling, films, and educational initiatives, the project highlights the enduring wisdom of India’s traditional water heritage and its relevance to present-day environmental challenges.
The exhibition has been made possible with the support of the Embassy of France in India, Alliance Française Jaipur, Alliance Française de Delhi, and the Fondation des Alliances Françaises (Paris), alongside the French Development Agency, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), and The Kindness Meal.
The initiative has also been recognised under the France–India Year of Innovation 2026.
Visitors are warmly invited to engage with the works on display and take part in the conversations, screenings, and activities that accompany the exhibition programme.
Dates
Opening: 22 March 2026 (By invitation)
22 March, 7 PM: Concert by Nila Pahad, a collective of musicians from the four directions of the country.
23–25 March 2026 (Exhibition open to the public)
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Venue:
Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi
Panel Discussions
“From Space to Cities: Indo-French Innovations on Water,” will bring together experts from SUEZ, Veolia, the CEEW Think Tank, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to discuss emerging technologies, research, and collaborative solutions addressing water management and climate resilience.
March 23 | 11:30 am – 12:30 PM
Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi
“Paani Ki Kahaani: Documenting Rajasthan’s water heritage and grassroots action for conservation” will be moderated by Prof. Ar. Ritu G. Deshmukh and will reflect on the collaborative process behind the project and its engagement with communities across Rajasthan. Panelists include Akanksha Modi, Célia Lebarbey, Marylène Negro, Tanya Chaturvedi, and Rakshat Hooja, who will share insights on storytelling, heritage documentation, and creative approaches to water awareness.
March 23 | 5 :00 PM – 6:00 PM
Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi
Workshops
A key component of the exhibition is a series of interactive workshops designed for students, young practitioners, and emerging researchers.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/nUR8A5MtfgjA8yuz9
Workshop 1: Water Photo Scenario with architect and filmmaker duo from France – Marylène Negro and Célia Lebarbey.
Innovative smartphone film making on water stories from Delhi, learning to shoot interesting montages, editing them simply and using music to build visual and auditory narratives.
📅 23 March
⌚ 9.30 am – 11.30 am
📍 Agrasen ki Baoli and surrounding areas
🎟️ Open to all ages above 18
Workshop 2: Participatory comics workshop: Thinking and drawing stories of water with the Leewardists duo Anuj Kale and Shreya Khandekar. Reflecting on the importance of water through storytelling and graphic art, sharing personal memories, observations and ideas about how water shapes our lives in cities. These creative expressions will form a growing particiaptoty wall of water stories and comics.
📅 23 March
⌚ 2.00 pm – 3.00 pm
📍 Romain Rolland Gallery, Alliance Française de Delhi
Workshop 3: Tell me What you Eat
Food, memory, identify and self: reflections and interactive workshop with Dipali Khandelwal, founder of The Kindness Meal. Conversation will centre around what we eat, food we hide, and how food defines who we are. The idea is to build a good identity record that becomes a part of a growing living archive in India.
📅 23 March
⌚ 3.15 pm – 4.15 pm
📍 Alliance Française Delhi Caféteria
📅 23 March
⌚ 9.00 am – 11.00 am
📍 Romain Rolland Gallery, Alliance Française de Delhi
🎟️ Open to everyone above 18