Friday, May 5, 2017

The Magnificent Stepwells Of North India




The stepwells are elaborate structures that usually revolve around a centrally located deep well surrounded by several stories of stepped corridors, galleries, and pavilions. The construction of stepwells was common between the 5th and the 19th centuries, especially in the arid regions of western India. Gujarat alone hosts 120 such structures. The wells were often commissioned by the Indian royals and meant to serve as a water reservoir during the dry season. They also acted as places of gathering for the village or townspeople who could cool themselves off during hot days in the cool and sheltered atmosphere of the stepwells. These structures were not only meant for utilitarian purposes but also symbolized the architectural wealth and aesthetic sense of the regions and their royals. Today, most of these stepwells are managed by the Archeological Survey of India and are visited by tourists from all corners of the globe.

Agrasen Ki Baoli

Agrasen ki Baoli is a 60 m long and 15 m wide stepwell on Hailey Road near Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Although no records exist as to the establishment of the stepwell, it is generally believed that it was built during the rule of the legendary king Agrasen. The Baoli features 108 steps and has three levels. 

Rajon Ki Baoli

It is a beautiful stepwell located in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park of Delhi, India. It is the most impressive one of the three baolis in Mehrauli, and also the largest and most ornamented one. The stepwell has four stages with floors at each stage and steps in descending size leading to the different stages.

The entire appearance is like a medieval period courtyard with a water body at the center. Rooms at each floor provide a cool resting place for the visitors. When it was fully functional, the water would reach up to the third level. The Rajon Ki Baoli was built in the 16th century by Daulat Khan during the rule of Sikander Lodhi.

Chand Baori

The Chand Baori is a stepwell located in the village of Abhaneri in Rajasthan. It is near the capital city of the state, Jaipur. The stepwell features 3,500 narrow steps moving down over 13 stories into the ground. 

The depth of the structure is about 100 feet, making it one of the deepest stepwells in the country. The Chand Baori was built by the Chauhan Dynasty ruler, King Chanda, between AD 800 and AD 900. The stepwell was used as a community gathering place during the hot days of summer.

Several movies have been shot at this spectacular stepwell such as the Hollywood movies The Dark Knight Rises, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and The Fall. The Sakiya Song of the Bollywood movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa has also used this location.

Rani Ki Vav

Rani ki vav is the most renowned stepwell of northern India. It is located in the Patan town of Gujarat on the banks of the Saraswati River. The stepwell was built as a memorial to king Bhimdev I by his widowed queen Udayamati, a 11th century ruler of the region. The site has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. The structure is built in the complex Maru-Gurjara architectural style and represents an inverted temple with seven levels of stairs.

More than 500 sculptures are distributed aesthetically throughout the stepwell complex. The Rani Ki Vav measures about 64 meters in length, 20 meters in width, and 27 meters in depth. 

Adalaj Ni Vav


Adalaj Stepwell is located in the Adalaj village near the capital city of Gujarat, Ahmedabad. The stepwell was built in 1499 by Mahmud Begada for his wife. The Adalaj Stepwell is associated with a tragic yet beautiful story of true love. According to the legend, the construction of the stepwell was initiated by Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty.

He was a Hindu ruler whose kingdom was attacked by a Muslim ruler of a neighboring kingdom, Mohammed Begda. When Rana was killed, Begda proposed to marry the beautiful wife of the Rana, Queen Roopba. However, the queen decided to marry him on one condition and that was that he must complete the building of the stepwell first. Begda, enamored by the beauty of the queen, easily complied, and completed the stepwell in record time. At the end, however, the faithful queen who had achieved her aim of getting the stepwell completed, decided to kill herself. 

She circumambulated the stepwell with prayers and jumped into it and drowned herself. The immortal story of love is depicted on the walls of the well.

Dada Harir Stepwell

This stepwell is located in Ahmedabad of Gujarat. It was built in the year 1485 by a household lady of Mahmud Begada named Dhai Harir. She was the royal harem’s superintendent. The stepwell is five stories deep and is built using the Solanki architectural style. The octagonal shaped stepwell has intricately carved pillars and spacious floors. Large openings in the roofs of various floors served as air vents. The entire structure is 190 feet long and 40 feet wide at the ground level. Several galleries are located at different stages of the stepwell. The Dada Harir Stepwell exhibits both Hindu and Islamic architectural styles that are very well blended in the structure. 

Raniji Ki Baori

Raniji ki Baori, meaning the "Queen's stepwell” is a famous stepwell located in the Bundi town of Rajasthan, India. The stepwell was built in 1699 by the younger queen of Rao Raja Anirudh Singh, the ruler of Bundi. Her name was Rani Nathavati Ji. The stepwell is 46 meters deep and has some really beautiful carvings on its pillars and a high arched gate. Each floor of the multistoried structure has places of worship. During the time when it was fully functional, the Raniji ki Baori served as assembly areas for the townsfolk. 

You can also read the following blog posts here for further details about the stepwells of India:





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