A breeze rustles through the banyan trees. Dragonflies skim the water’s surface. Temple bells echo through the humid air.

For generations, this was a familiar scene around Keralam’s ambalakulams, or temple ponds.

Long before “natural pools” became a feature of luxury resorts and wellness retreats, these ponds quietly performed an essential role. They stored rainwater during heavy monsoons, replenished groundwater during dry months, cooled surrounding areas during peak summers, and supported fish, birds, insects, and aquatic plants.

They were not built as climate solutions. Yet that is exactly what they became.

Today, as Indian cities grapple with rising temperatures, shrinking water bodies, and growing water stress, these centuries-old ponds are returning to public conversation as living ecological systems that still hold valuable lessons for the future.

Water bodies woven into everyday life

Across Keralam, temple ponds were once at the heart of community life.

Built beside temples and lined with laterite or granite........

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