JOIN USThe 11th-century Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) — in Patan district of Gujarat — made it to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list on June 22 this year. And pray, why not? This architectural wonder designed as an inverted temple, with its intricately carved panels, looks like a subterranean edifice honouring the elixir of life rather than a construct simply to store water.
Doubtlessly, the baolis of North India, the bawdis of Rajasthan and the vavs of Gujarat are our country’s unique and stupendous contribution to the world of art and architecture. While Rajasthan has earned the sobriquet ‘city of stepwells’, Gujarat, which boasts hundreds of them, walks away with Rani-ki-Vav as its place of pride.
Oh! The marvel
It’s with a lot of skepticism that we decide to visit yet another stepwell during our trip to Gujarat. The Adalaj Vav has already taken our breath away with its plethora of intricate carvings, aesthetically set. ‘What more could Rani-ki-Vav add to the brilliance of Adajal that would leave us bewitched?’ we wonder. Yet we add it to our overloaded itinerary. And voila! The stepwell becomes our major agenda for the day. For, we spend the entire afternoon savouring the splendour of this highest watermark of Solanki architecture.
The stepwell, located on the banks of River Saraswati, was built by Queen Udayamati in memory of her husband, King Bhimdev I, who was the son of Mularaja Solanki, the founder of Patan. Patan, variously known by its medieval names — Anahillapura, Anahilapataka, Analavata, Anahillavad — was the capital of Gujarat for over 600 years, between the 8th and 14th centuries.
Once a flourishing capital of the Solanki or Chalukyan dynasty of Gujarat, it now boasts of remnants of forts, temples, tombs, tanks, mosques and stepwells.
Then and now
The 64m-long, 20m-wide and 27m-deep structure, oriented in the east-west direction, was re-discovered in the 1950s. But, with centuries of flooding by the river, the silt-covered edifice was uncovered only in the 1980s when the Archaeological Survey of India undertook excavations, exposing several carvings in pristine conditions.
Of the original seven terraces built on corridor walls, only five survive today, and are preserved for posterity.
The outstanding features of the stepwell are the sculptural panels that adorn its corridor walls, pillared pavilions, and inner sides of the well — combining religious, mythological and secular imagery. It’s a veritable poetic gallery in stone where each sculpted piece — miniature or life-size, with geometric motifs or figurines — is carved to perfection.
The central space on each terrace, with sunken niches alternating with projecting panels, contains the sculptures. The theme revolves around Dashavatara or Vishnu’s 10 avatars. Of the original 292 pillars that support the pavilions of the stepwell, 226 remain today, in various degrees of preserve. As we stand zapped by the intricacy of decorative patterns, we observe that several of the designs are woven as part of the traditional Patola fabric.
Twenty four forms of Vishnu (including the Dashavatara), Parvati’s penance including 15 images of Devi, and the eight Vasus are all portrayed here. A few of the idols that caught our attention were of Balarama, Kalki, Vamana, Varaha, and Durga as Mahishasuramardhini. The idol of Balarama portrays him standing with a slight bend in his body, placing his weight on his left foot. He holds in his four hands a lotus, pestle, citron and plough.
Sheshnag spreads his jewelled triplehood over his head. Kalki is carved imaginatively as a warrior, and as is a sovereign king who is riding on horseback, armed with a dagger tied at his waist, and wielding a sword. The idol of Queen Udayamati with an inscription on the face of the seat reads: ‘Maharajni Shri Udayamati’. She is shown seated on a cushion, bearing a lotus in her right hand, while her left hand rests on her lap.
As we continue our explorative sojourn of the stepwell, at water level we spot a carving of Sheshashayi Vishnu — Vishnu reclining on the thousand-hooded serpent, Shesha. The steps begin at ground level and lead down — as the cool air is blown through several pillared pavilions — to reach the deep well below. Since much of the well area is covered by silt, we manage to see only sections of its arcs that contain sculpted panels.
We also learn from the guide that a small gate below the last step opens out to a 30-km tunnel leading to the neighbouring town of Sidhapur. The tunnel apparently served as an escape gateway for the royals in times of attack. The water in Rani-ki-Vav, we are told, had been replete with medicinal qualities since plenty of herbal plants and shrubs grew around the area, even as recently as 50 years back. The stepwell also had a few chambers that the royal families used as their summer resort, the water from the well acting as a natural air conditioner.
Close to Rani-ki-Vav is another structure worth a visit — the Sahasralinga Talav. It’s the reservoir bedecked with 1,000 Shiva lingas.