Stepwells

Stepwells

A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest parts of India.

AA millennium ago, fundamental to life in the driest parts of India were magnificent subterranean water structures called stepwells. Although many have been neglected over centuries, some of these monuments of medieval engineering have been saved by the Archaeological Survey of India, and today are visited by tourists from all over the world. Richard Cox travelled to north-western India to document these spectacular monuments from a bygone era.

BDuring 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. In regions prone to severe drought, access to groundwater was vital for human survival.

CThe unique feature of stepwells is that they are subterranean, that is, they are structures in the earth rather than on it. The name says it all: a stepwell is a well in which water is reached through a series of descending steps. Some are vast, open craters with tiers of steps leading down to the water, while others are more elaborate, with pavilions, covered terraces and intricate stone carvings. 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. In this way, the number of steps exposed above the water altered continuously throughout the course of a year as seasons shifted.

DIn addition to their primary function as water reservoirs, stepwells also provided shade, shelter from the relentless heat of the Indian summer, and were used as social gathering places, especially for women, who would fetch water and chat with their friends and neighbours. Some stepwells were even built near temples and were used for religious bathing rituals.

EStepwells vary in architectural style depending on when and where they were built. One type, known as a kund, is a broad, shallow basin surrounded by steps on all four sides. Another type is a long, linear stepwell, with steps descending along a single axis to a deep circular well shaft at the end. Intricate colonnades, carved pillars, and elaborately sculpted shrines were often incorporated into the design, depicting gods, goddesses, animals, and mythological scenes. Elaborate verandas and pillared galleries offered resting spaces for travelers and worshippers.

FOver the centuries, thousands of stepwells were constructed throughout north-western India. However, during the period of British rule in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many stepwells fell into disuse. The British considered them unhygienic and installed pipes and pumps to supply water instead. In addition, the lowering of the water table due to excessive extraction of groundwater for modern agriculture caused many stepwells to run completely dry.

GIn recent years, however, there has been a revival of interest in stepwells. The Archaeological Survey of India has begun restoring some of the most impressive structures, clearing away silt, debris, and vegetation that had accumulated over decades of neglect. Some of the most famous restored stepwells include the Rani Ki Vav (Queen's Stepwell) in Patan, Gujarat, which survived a major 2001 earthquake and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Chand Baori in Abhaneri, Rajasthan, one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India featuring a vast tank. In places like Neemrana, historical wells have even had their lowest levels preserved where water remains underwater.