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Life originates from wholeness, but this manifested life is unable to attain its wholeness without water. Only those who live in a desert genuinely know that water is life. This parched land in Rajasthan, India, awaits only one thing: the monsoon. But the monsoon rains are increasingly short and rare. To address the major water crisis in this desert state, Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Mahāśvarānandajī, author of the internationally acclaimed system Yoga in Daily Life, and the International Śrī Deep Madhavānanda Āśram Fellowship, launched a desert rainwater harvesting initiative at the Om Ashram, near the village of Jadan. The first step was to build a man-made lake, which can hold over 200,000 cubic meters of rainwater to supply all the other projects in the ashram and the surrounding area. The region's recent drought has lasted over six years, and almost all bore wells are either dried up or yield water so salty it is not fit even for irrigating plants and crops, let alone for drinking. The equation is very simple: no water, no life. This project utilizes traditional rainwater harvesting techniques in conjunction with community-based watershed management plans to provide a sustainable model for drought-affected areas throughout the world. This initiative was an officially recognized project at the United Nations' 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development. A network of dams and canals directs the monsoon's heavy rains toward the lake. Water collected in this way means life for all living creatures in this thirsty area. One part of the Battle for Water project is the digging of a giant well in the ashram. The only thing left is to wait and hope that the clouds will finally deliver their precious cargo. Big raindrops finally begin to dance, like life, like joy. The rain pours down, soaking the land which suffered thirst for so long. This gift from heaven is welcomed with great relief and gratitude. The rain harvest begins. Powerfully and solemnly, the reservoir of life fills. The thirsty desert became green overnight, and each inch of land absorbed as much as it could. What is left runs down into the lake. Each stream, including even the smallest ones, directs water into the lake. Every stream counts. Each precious drop is gathered. With excitement, people watch how the vision and effort of a sage, a saint, becomes the realization of what they have only dreamt about. This lake is now like a saint. It is Pūrṇa, complete, and it is here for everyone, in service to all forms of life. The water, like nectar, awakens nature in all its colors. Albeit temporarily, a desert is turned into a playful garden of life. Using this experience in the Jadan region, the International Fellowship and its partners will extend the Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative to six other locations throughout remote, rural Rajasthan. The project benefits local communities by providing local employment, fresh water for drinking and agriculture, reducing pollution, preventing water-related diseases, improving public health, and providing education opportunities for women and children. The fire truck and volunteer crew are another form of free help provided by the ashram. During the summer and harvest time, this crew intervenes up to three times a day. When it is a question of saving lives, property, and harvests, the crew knows no fatigue. As Swamiji says, helping hands have more value than folded hands. During the drought, the Ashram firefighting vehicle participates regularly in water supply schemes for many villages in the larger surrounding area. For these people, this water is the nectar of life. It is life itself. This centre and its projects offer a number of possibilities, not only for humanitarian work but also for working on ourselves. But for the humanitarian projects to be completed, they need much support. Everyone, every idea, and every contribution is welcome. Here, nothing is in vain.