For this project, the artists concentrated on a single commodity readily available in Badrinath: Water. In Badrikashrama, the water is considered to be the purest and most holy. Holy is related to belief which is in abundance among the yatris (pilgrims); purity is its physical state. Dripping from ancient glaciers and flowing down mountain slopes, the waters of the Alaknanda are full of minerals and herb-extracts. There are also 2 springs nearby that have clean and clear water. Unfortunately, over time the contemporary pilgrim-tourist chooses to consume bottled water that is brought up from the plains while at Badrinath, the Ganga-jal that is considered to be the purest and holiest water is severely polluted by human generated waste. This dichotomy is where the project begins: The pilgrims come to Badrinath because it is a holy spot and the waters of the Alaknanda are so pure that they will wash away their sins; but the act of the pilgrimage itself kills the purity of the water.

The first part of the project involved extensive research of the people, the place and its ecology. The artists interviewed various people, like the CEO of the Temple Committee, local NGOs, district administration, religious groups and many local people. They tried to investigate what different stake-holders felt about the issues being addressed. Their research had indicated stories and legends associated with the various streams and water bodies in Badrinath, which they decided to use as the basis for the signage. During their time in Badrinath, the artists also conducted tests for potable water, from the various springs, rivers and streams. The results of the tests were positive, indicating that the natural water sources were safe for drinking. The artists felt that in order to awaken the pilgrims to the reality of the ecological challenges being faces by natural resources, it was necessary to illuminate the various natural springs, Piyaus and sources of potable water available to them, and thus consider the threat that they were under. One of the springs, Kurm Dhara, was identified as the centerpiece site for the project. Information boards for five identified springs/streams of potable water were installed. Each of the boards recalled the legend associated with it and also gave information on the quality of water. The artists also installed direction boards on the main path leading up to the temple, so that pilgrims could easily find each spring/stream. Finally, signage was installed on the municipal drinking water taps, along with drinking water glasses for the ease and use of the pilgrims.

The artists set up the free drinking water point (Piyau) in a shed along the line of pilgrims that forms to enter the temple. This space was graciously donated for the duration of the project by the Temple Committee. This worked greatly to the artists’ advantage, as they got a stamp of approval, being associated with the temple. At the Piyau a group of rotating volunteers distributed the spring water from a copper container and also told people about the advantages of using locally available resources as compared to packaged commodities. The Piyau also had different boards with information on them, such as the potable water tests conducted, maps of Badrinath showing the various springs, maps of the municipal taps, general information about Himalayan spring water, etc. Four glass jars containing water from Benares, Rishikesh, Alaknanda near Badri- nath and the water from the Kurm Dhara clearly showed the progressive pollution of water as it flowed from the hills to the plains. At the rear of the stall a large LCD screen showed an abstract video of the waste that is dumped into the river at Badrinath. This
video was accompanied by a voiceover that talked about how the pilgrimage had changed over the years as also the importance of water in Hinduism. Recycled bottles were filled with the water from Kurm Dhara and distributed too. Any pilgrim with an empty bottle could refill his bottle from the Piyau. They put labels on these bottles with the name Kurm Amrit indicating that it was not for sale and that user should try and refill the bottles rather than buy new ones.