Exquisite water management of ancient India at Rani ki Vav, Gujrat

The news of Rani ki vav picture being printed on the ₹100 Indian note brought back the memories of my visit to this mesmerizing unique architecture. The vav or the ‘Queens Stepwell’ is located in Patan, Gujrat. The closest junction to Patan was Mehsana where many express trains halt. I got down early morning around dawn in Mehsana. There was a passenger train to Patan around 10am.

Patan to Mehsana is not more than 1 hour of travel, but the passenger train as usual took it own time. There are autos outside the station to the vav. Unlike most of the monuments that are built by the Kings as a gift or in memory to the Queens, the Rani ki vav stands out as it was built by the widowed Queen Udaymati in memory of Bhimdev I of Solanki dynasty. The setpwell is 30m deep.

Contrary to the other monuments, one will not see any tall structures, or ruins as it is build inside the opening of the ground. The seven story stepwell is 64m long and 24m wide. It is said that at the last step of stepwell there is a gate that leads a 30m tunnel to Sidhpur town near Patan. However, no one is allowed to descend the steps more than the permitted level. It is also believed that few decades back the stepwell contained medicinal plants and the water stored was used in curing ailments.

There are around 800 sculptures in the inside of the stepwell with the main theme being the ‘Dhashawtara‘ or the 10  incarnation of Vishnu along with the other sculptures of apsaras, sages and brahmins. The stepwell was later flooded by the nearby Saraswati river  and silted over until the late 1980s. When it was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India the carvings were found in pristine condition. It was declared UNESCO World Site Heritage in 2014.

There are carvings of the Apsaras depicting the sixteen different styles to look more beautiful and attractive the solah-singar. At the water level there is carving of Sheshashayi-Vishnu in which Lord Vishnu reclines on the thousand hooded serpent where he rests till infinity.

The stepwell was used not just to collect water but also a place for socializing. The carving prove that they had a spiritual importance to it as well. These stepwells are found mostly in the dry regions of Gujrat and Rajasthan. However there are a few in Southern India and Delhi as well.

How to Reach:

Nearest junction is Mehsana. Reaching Patan can take at the most an hour. The state Capital of Ahmedabad is at a distance of 125kms and can take 3 hours if you book a cab. From here one can head to Sun Temple of Modhera which is on the way back to Mehsana.

There are no food joints nearby though I had a sumptuous Gujrati Thali at Hotel Tulsi just on the outskirts of the town.

Time – 8am to 6pm. Earlier you reach you can avoid the crowds. Winters are recommend to visit as the summers can be too harsh.

Entrance ticket – ₹5 for Indian nationals and USD 2 for foreigners.