Stepwells of bonds and friendships...

Lost Glory

Essentially used for storing rainwater, and once thought to be the haunt of fairies and dwarfs, now Delhi baolis are reinventing themselves in a new avatar. Yes, they still continue to be a hideout, but celetial beings are soon giving way to ‘earthly’ lovers, party revellers or even those who just want to take a walk around this ancient architecture.

Take postgraduate student Ekjot Bamra, for instance, who decided to do something different for her birthday. So instead of partying with friends to celebrate her special day, she took off to ‘Ugrasen ki Baoli’ off Hailey Road, with her friends. Ekjot’s friend and classmate Nikita Anand says, “We chose this place over a fast-food joint because it’s peaceful and secluded. The environment here provides an escape from a typical busy life.”

The baolis have not failed to charm even the newly-married. Married three months ago, Uttar Pradesh-based Sher Mohammad and his wife Shabnam, visited ‘Rajon ki Baoli’ in Mehrauli recently and all in an effort to revisit Sher’s childhood days that he spent close to the baoli. “I don’t mind travelling all the way from Hapur, where I now stay. I felt the urge to show my wife this baoli, which has been an integral part of my growing up days.”

Baoli , also called bawdi or bawri in Hindi and vaav in Gujarati, are wells in which the water can be reached by descending a set of steps.

These types of storage and irrigation tanks were developed to cope with the issue of seasonal availability of water. Baolis are different from tanks and other wells due to their step structure. The baoli in Delhi were mainly built during the Tuglak and Lodi dynasty.

Historian Jyoti Singh and also a regular baoli-visitor, says, “Keeping in mind the water problems we face these days, it is interesting to note how people in ancient times managed their water needs.”

Some baolis however are in a poor state and need immediate restoration. ‘Gandhak ki Baoli’ in Mehrauli, for instance is being repaired for the last two months. The results are yet to be seen though.