“ಜೀವಜಲ ಜೀವನಾಡಿ (Jeevajala Jeevanaadi)”

“Life giving water: pulse of Environment”

Emerging from the collaborative initiative ‘Re-Source: Rethinking Urban Water Future’, the Jeevajala Jeevanaadi initiative was conceived as a community-driven movement to reclaim, restore, and reimagine the historic Purnaiah Canal in Mysuru. Rooted in the shared commitment of Water Forum Mysuru, Mysore School of Architecture, Aranya Outreach Trust, the project recognizes water as a living heritage and as an ecological lifeline. This initiative was further strengthened by the Bengaluru Sustainability Forum’s objective and funding.

Jeevajala Jeevanaadi integrates the principles of the UN Sustainable Development Goals—with a primary focus on relative objectives of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The realization of Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17) was further strengthened through active multi-stakeholder collaboration and support.

Re-Source |
Rethinking Urban Water Future

Collaborative Design Challenge

Mysore School of Architecture

Mysore School of Architecture (MSA), established in 2014, offers a COA-approved B.Arch. program under VTU. Guided by the motto “Live, Learn, Work, and Play,” MSA promotes quality education through a pedagogy rooted in excellence, openness, flexibility, and innovation—blending hands-on learning, creative exploration, and student-centered engagement.

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Water Forum Mysuru

Water Forum Mysuru began in 2023 as a collective group of architects, engineers, ecologists, educators, and engaged citizens, united by a shared concern for Mysuru’s water heritage. What started as informal conversations has grown into a vibrant, interdisciplinary platform committed to water literacy, ecological restoration and through community participation.

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Aranya Outreach Trust

Aranya Outreach Trust is a not-for-profit organization committed to fostering environmental stewardship and community-based ecological restoration. With a focus on biodiversity, forest conservation, and sustainable livelihoods, Aranya works with rural and urban communities to reconnect people with nature.

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Bengaluru Sustainability Forum (BSF)

The Bengaluru Sustainability Forum (BSF) is a multi‑institutional initiative dedicated to addressing the long‑term sustainability of Bengaluru’s urban and peri‑urban landscapes. With a focus on public‑common resources—such as air, water, soil, biodiversity, waste, urban mobility, and planning—it fosters knowledge sharing and action through interdisciplinary dialogue.

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The Purnaiah Nala, conceived in the early 1800s under Dewan Purnaiah after the Wadiyars’ return to power, was a 25-km-long canal system designed to address Mysuru’s water scarcity by channeling floodwaters from lakes such as Huyilalu Kere to Kukkarahalli Kere, supporting domestic use, irrigation, and industries like the Mysore Sandal Soap Factory. Beyond its engineering feat, it also held cultural significance, with landmarks like the 12th-century Hoysala temple at Madagalli Doddakere, a once-thriving community hub later restored after the 1895 plague. However, rapid urban expansion from 2011 to 2025 has severely encroached upon these wetlands, threatening biodiversity, climate resilience, and cultural heritage. As both an ecological lifeline and a historical symbol of integrated water management, repurposing the Purnaiah Nala today is crucial—not only for conservation but also for reimagining sustainable urbanism where water, people, culture, and biodiversity coexist.

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