Rajasthan: Wet and Dry by Tammy Winand

Once at the heart of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, Rajasthan is an arid state with a varied landscape of barren rocky wastes, old mountains ranges, and open stretches of desert.

The historic Rajput occupants built distinctive domed and arched architectural palaces there starting in the 16th Century CE and protected their holdings with virtually impregnable forts.

Water, or the lack thereof, has played a role in nearly every aspect of life across this region since ancient times. Royals built amazing fountains and gardens both to shelter themselves from the harsh desert clime and to flaunt their water wealth.

To this day, the residents depend on the annual monsoon cycle to refill lakes and streams which they depend upon for agriculture and daily needs, from cooking to bathing to laundry.

The 34 images in "Rajasthan: Wet and Dry" showcase some of the fabulous ways water and the desert climate has figured into the life of Rajasthan since ancient times. It moves us across the landscape, through history and through the various cultures which have shaped the region.