Jawai Dam, Dam in Pali district, India

Jawai Dam is a masonry dam across the Jawai River near Sumerpur in Pali district, Rajasthan. It stands about 61.25 feet (18.67 m) high and impounds a reservoir of 13 km2 with a capacity of 7,887.5 million cubic feet. In the photograph, grey-blue water lies between low pale rocky islands and stone banks, with rounded grey-brown hills rising behind, the highest on the right, and sparse green shrubs on the slopes.

The ruler of Jodhpur initiated construction in the mid-1940s to improve water supply across the region. The project was a major infrastructure effort in Rajasthan during the post-independence period.

Jawai Bandh is called Marwar's Amrit Sarovar, or Man Sarovar. The dam's water is the main drinking-water source for Jodhpur and Pali districts, and the Jawai project is described as the lifeline of the western desert. Farmers from 186 Jalore villages have staged a mahapadav sit-in demanding a third of the stored water be released to the Jawai river.

Visit during or just after the monsoon season when water levels are highest and the surrounding landscape appears green. The location is relatively accessible and offers multiple paths for walking along the dam and surrounding areas.

As of 2020, the reservoir held 377 crocodiles, counted in a survey of the dam's waters. Leopards are sighted in the forest around Kothar village near the dam, and migratory birds stop here in winter. The dam's main foundation is built of lead (seesa) metal, a detail easy to miss.