Rani –ki –Vav, a queen’s step-well located in Patan town in Gujarat, has been approved for inscription on the World Heritage list.
The recognition was granted by the Unesco at the World Heritage Committee Session currently on at Doha, Qatar, the Culture Ministry said on Sunday.
Unesco has recognised this masterpiece as an exceptional example of technological development in utilising ground water resources in a single component, water management system and it illustrates the exceptional capacity to break large spaces into smaller volumes following ideal aesthetic proportions, it added
Built in the 11th century, Rani-ki-Vav is the most developed, elaborate and ornate example of a unique type of Indian subterranean architectural structure, and it marks the zenith in the evolution of step-wells in India.
It is a particularly large and complex example of a step-well, with seven storeys of ornamented panels of sculptures and relief representing the height of the Maru-Gurjara style.
Following the flooding and disappearance of the Saraswati River due to geotectonic changes, the property was buried under layers of silt for almost seven centuries and has been preserved underneath in an exceptional state of conservation by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The step-well was nominated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the World Heritage List of Unesco in February, 2013.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the decision of the Unesco.
“Rani Ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat, has been added to the Unesco World Heritage list! A matter of great pride for us. Next time you visit Gujarat, you must visit Rani Ki Vav, an excellent symbol of our great art and culture,” he tweeted.