A beautiful step well - Adalaj Vav Gujarat

The step wells Adalaj Vav (vavs) of Gujarat are tan ingenious answer to the water scarcity in this arid region. Many of these elaborately ornamented, underground wells are dedicated to deities, acknowledging the hand of God in providing life-sustaining water. Adalaj Vav, perhaps Gujarat's finest stepwell, Detail of carving was built in 1499 by Rudabai, the wife of a local chieftain, to conserve water and provide a cool and pleasant ambience for social interaction. A series of beautiful platforms and galleries are built into the sides of the stepwell, all the way down to its subterranean depths.

The Stepped Corridor

The main corridor leads down five storeys to a depth of 30 m (98 ft), through pavilions whose walls, pillars and niches are covered with sculptures.

The First Well

Adalaj has an intermediate tank, 7 in (23 ft) in diameter, just before the main well. The octagonal well-shaft is entirely covered with fine carvings.

Ornamental Detail

The well-shafts are pro-fusely carved with intricate floral and geometric motifs, interspersed with figurines.

The First Landing

Balconies, windows, doors and shrines line the first landing — a large underground platform. Adalaj is best viewed at noon, when sunlight filters down to the bottom.

The Pavilions

The pavilions, supported by rows of carved pillars, are flooded with diffused light and provide ideal resting places.

Wall Niches

Niches feature in all the pavilions, carved with motifs of pots, horses, flowers and leaves.

Other Stepwells in Gujarat

The 11th-century Rani ni Vav in Patan is among the most elaborately carved stepwells, with some 800 sculptures. Built in 1499, Dada Hark Vav in Ahmedabad, is one of the finest examples of a vav from the Muslim period in Gujarat. The 15th-century Ambarpur Vav, 18 km (11 miles) from Ahmedabad, is one of the few vays still in use.

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