PYAAVS AND PAANPOIS - A STUDY OF THE CHANGING FACE OF PUBLIC WATER DISPENSING UNITS OF PUNE

Abstract

Water has always been an essential part of human civilization, shaping urban landscapes and influencing social life. The drinking water fountains built during colonial period are locally called as pyaavs while water dispensing units are generally called as paanpois. Two old drinking water fountains and some new water dispensing units are located within the Pune Cantonment region. Whereas the ancient Paanpois were located on the outskirts of Pune. The aim of this paper is to study the evolution of the historic pyaavs and the paanpois which are regional expressions of water dispensing units from Pune. This study explores the tangible and intangible legacy through a variety of photographic documentation and a review of existing research in the topic, showcasing the individuality of each water dispensing unit.