In homage to water...

The sprawling garden was in full bloom that swayed and sighed in the soft afternoon breeze, enticing us to take a leisurely stroll. But it was the 11th century Rani-ki-vav (Queen’s stepwell) within the premises that had drawn us to Patan in Gujarat, and we could not wait to explore it.

Recognised as the UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014, it’s the finest example of all the stepwells in India. Patan has today become synonymous with Rani-ki-vav and Patola saris. However, the ruins scattered within the remnants of its fortified walls also give a glimpse of the grandeur and glory it once enjoyed under the 600-year-rule of the Chavda and the Solanki rulers between the 8th and 14th centuries.

The old city of Patan, also known as Anhilwad Patan (or Anhilpur Patan), seems to have completely vanquished with time. Founded by Vanraj Chavda in 745 AD as the capital of Gujarat, it reached its zenith under the Solanki rulers Bhimdeva, Karnadeva and Siddharaja Jayaimha. Its fate was sealed by successive invasions and ransacking, starting with Mahmud of Ghazni in 1024 AD and subsequently by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and Allaudin Khilji. A resurrection did take place in late 14th century when Gujarat Sultanate fortified the city and made it the capital of Gujarat. However, the restored pride of Patan was short-lived as Sultan Ahmed Shah shifted the capital to Ahmedabad.

In the historic Patan, the fortified walls in parts and a few remaining gates built by the rulers of Gujarat Sultanate were still intact. The most prominent being the Aghora Darwaza. The jharokha at the top of the gate and the heavy wooden door were reminiscent of that era. As the passers-by and vehicles passed through it, we saw many Jain sadhvis solemn in spotless white saris. This reminded us how King Kumarapala, the nephew and successor of King Siddharaja, was a patron of Jainism. He laid the foundation of his kingdom on the principles of ahimsa (non-violence), influenced by the great Jain scholar Hemchandracharya.

In thousands

We then proceeded to see the engineering marvel of an artificial water tank known as Sahastralinga Tank, built by King Siddharaja. It is completely dry now, but the remnants of inlets, canals and cisterns show the efficient water-management system of the Solanki rulers. The name ‘Sahastralinga’ was due to the thousands of Shiva shrines with lingas built on the edge of the tank. The tank used to receive water from River Saraswati through a canal that was laid out for five km. As we pottered around the flight of stairs leading to the tank, stone embankments, channels and broken stone pillars that clearly showed the ravages of time and were completely in ruin, we wondered about the reverence of people towards water.

We could take a leaf from the medieval history of Gujarat. When 11 states in our country are reeling under drought-like condition in the sweltering summer, reviving the numerous wells and tanks or building ecologically sound water reservoirs would help. The Solanki rulers went a step further by integrating science and religion, and adorning the water system with deities, emphasised the sanctity of water. 

Instead of building a temple, it made sense for Rani Udayamati to commission a stepwell akin to an inverted temple in 1063 AD in memory of her late husband, King Bhimdeva I. The Rani-ki-vav might have held a lot of significance then. I was quite surprised by the surge of local crowd hanging in there just as their ancestors would have done. An old man wearing a distinctive white attire from the nearby Mehsana was climbing down the steep stone steps. Exhausted, he sat down, regained his lost breath and trudged along. I had been observing him and couldn’t resist speaking to him. Being a farmer in a dry Mehsana region, he had attached immense value to stepwells, and coming here was his way of paying homage to water. But it was not until a few decades ago that Rani-ki-vav came to light, for it was buried in history. For centuries it remained covered with silt as an aftermath of being flooded with the waters of River Saraswati. When the monuments of Patan turned into ruins, this subterranean water architecture was well-preserved and protected. When restored by the Archaeological Survey of India in the 80s, it retained its pristine charm.

The chosen one

Built in the Maru-Gurjara architectural style that became the signature of the Solanki rulers’ temple architecture, Rani-ki-vav showcased functionality, aesthetics and religious elements to venerate water as a prized natural element.

According to the UNESCO World Heritage website: “Rani-ki-Vav is a very complete example of the stepwell tradition, even though after geotectonic changes in the 13th century it does no longer function as water well as a result of the change to the Saraswati river bed. A majority of sculptures and decorative panels remain in-situ and some of these in an exceptional state of conservation.”

As we climbed down the steep stone steps, the well came narrowing down to minimise the evaporation of water. Deep down I stood agape in wonder of exquisitely beautiful art finding expression in every nook and corner. There are some 220 carved pillars and 500 major sculptures in addition to thousands of smaller ones. There are apsaras, nag kanyas and yoginis striking amorous poses. There are idols from Hindu mythology as well.

At water level, Lord Vishnu manifests himself as Sheshashayi, reclining on a thousand-hooded serpent. Some motifs on the walls have been adapted as designs on the beautiful hand-woven Patola saris since the 11th century in Patan.

It is said that more than 700 Patola weaver families were invited from Jalna in Maharashtra to settle in Salvivad near Patan by King Siddharaja. The fine silk and the double ikat weave of Patola was prized by the royalty as ceremonial and holy cloth. Today, hardly three-four families carry on the traditional handloom weaving of Patola, and one of the Salvi families has built a Patola House in Patan as a museum-cum-weaving centre.