Stepwells

A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest
parts ofIndia. Richard Cox travelled to north-western India to
document these spectacular monuments from a bygone era
During the sixth and seventh centuries, the inhabitants of the modern-day states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in
north-western India developed a method of gaining access to clean, fresh groundwater during the dry season for
drinking, bathing, watering animals and irrigation. However, the significance of this invention - the stepwell - goes
beyond its utilitarian application.

Unique to this region, stepwells are often architecturally complex and vary
widely in size and shape. During their heyday, they were places of gathering, of leisure and relaxation and of worship for villagers of all but the lowest classes. Most stepwells are found dotted round the desert areas of Gujarat (where they are called vav) and Rajasthan (where they are called baori), while a few also survive in Delhi. Some were located in or near villages as public spaces for the community；others were positioned beside
roads as resting places for travellers.

As their name suggests, stepwells comprise a series of stone steps descending from ground level to the water source (normally an underground aquifer) as it recedes following the rains. When the water level was high, the user needed only to descend a few steps to reach it ；when it was low, several levels would have to be negotiated

Some wells are vast, open craters with
hundreds of steps paving each sloping
side, often in tiers. Others are more
elaborate, w ith long stepped passages
leading to the water via several storeys.
Built from stone and supported by pillars,
they also included pavilions that sheltered
visitors from the relentless heat. But
perhaps the most impressive features
are the intricate decorative sculptures
that embellish many stepwells, showing
activities from fighting and dancing to
everyday acts such as women combing
their hair or churning butter.

Down the centuries, thousands of wells
were constructed throughout northwestern India, but the majority have now
fallen into disuse；many are derelict and
dry, as groundwater has been diverted
for industrial use and the wells no longer
reach the water table. Their condition
hasn’t been helped by recent dry spells：
southern Rajasthan suffered an eight-year
drought between 1996 and 2004.
However, some important sites in
Gujarat have recently undergone major
restoration, and the state government
announced in June last year that it plans
to restore the stepwells throughout the
state.
In Patan, the state’s ancient capital, the
stepwell of Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell)
is perhaps the finest current example.
It was built by Queen Udayamati during
the late 11th century, but became silted
up following a flood during the 13th
century. But the Archaeological Survey
of India began restoring it in the 1960s,
and today it is in pristine condition. At
65 metres long, 20 metres wide and 27
metres deep, Rani Ki Vav features 500
sculptures carved into niches throughout
the monument. Incredibly, in January
2001, this ancient structure survived an
earthquake that measured 7.6 on the
Richter scale.
Another example is the Surya Kund in
Modhera, northern Gujarat, next to the
Sun Temple, built by King Bhima I in 1026
to honour the sun god Surya. It actually
resembles a tank (kund means reservoir
or pond) rather than a well, but displays
the hallmarks of stepwell architecture,
including four sides of steps that descend
to the bottom in a stunning geometrical
formation. The terraces house 108 small,
intricately carved shrines between the
sets of steps.
Rajasthan also has a wealth of wells.
The ancient city of Bundi, 200 kilometres
south of Jaipur, is renowned for its
architecture, including its stepwells.
One of the larger examples is Raniji Ki
Baori, which was built by the queen of the
region, Nathavatji, in 1699. At 46 metres
deep, 20 metres wide and 40 metres long,
the intricately carved monument is one of
21 baoris commissioned in the Bundi area
by Nathavatji.
In the old ruined town of Abhaneri, about
95 kilometres east of Jaipur, is Chand
Baori， one of India’s oldest and deepest
wells；aesthetically it ’s perhaps one of the
most dramatic. Built in around 850 AD
next to the temple of Harshat Mata, the
baori comprises hundreds of zigzagging
steps that run along three of its sides,
steeply descending 11 storeys, resulting
in a striking pattern when seen from afar.
On the fourth side, verandas which are
supported by ornate pillars overlook the
steps.
Still in public use is Neemrana Ki Baori,
located just off the Jaipur- Delhi highway.
Constructed in around 1700~it is nine
storeys deep, w ith the last two being
underwater. At ground level, there are
86 colonnaded openings from where the
visitor descends 170 steps to the deepest
water source.
Today, following years of neglect, many of
these monuments to medieval engineering
have been saved by the Archaeological
Survey of India, which has recognised the
importance of preserving them as part of
the country’s rich history. Tourists flock
to wells in far-flung corners of northwestern India to gaze in wonder at these
architectural marvels from hundreds of
years ago, which serve as a reminder of
both the ingenuity and artistry of ancient
civilisations and of the value of water to
human existence