Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs constructed as part of temple complexes near Indian temples. They form an integral feature of temple architecture across the subcontinent, serving ritual, communal and practical purposes within the sacred precinct.
These tanks are known by a variety of names in different languages and regions of India, including pushkarini, kalyani, kunda, sarovara, tirtha, talab, pukhuri and ambalakkuḷam. The diversity of nomenclature reflects the widespread presence of such tanks in temple traditions across linguistic and regional cultures.
In tradition, certain temple tanks are held to possess curative properties, and bathing in their waters is believed by devotees to relieve various diseases and maladies. Such beliefs are part of the wider association of sacred water bodies with purification and pilgrimage in Indian religious practice.
Architecturally, temple tanks take varied forms. Some are constructed as stepwells, with many flights of steps descending along the sides to the water. It has been suggested that temple tanks may represent cultural continuities with earlier ritual bathing structures, such as the Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro and the reservoirs of Dholavira, which were part of the Indus Valley civilisation.
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Temple tank.