Adalaj Stepwell

Gujarat is home to numerous stepwells or 'Vav's (as called in local language); hiding in its treasure around 120 odd stepwells. It was a necessary system in the semi-arid/ arid areas like Gujarat and Rajasthan (Baoli as called in local language) during the olden times to manage the drought- prone areas. An interesting fact of these step wells is that the direct sunlight cannot penetrate the well thus it reducing the evaporation of water. At the same time, water also got filtered through the earth thus keeping it clean.
The 'Vavs' served two purposes in the earlier days- first, provided water for various activities during the summer months; second, provided shelter for travelers. In the present scenario, they provide innumerable opportunities to the seasoned eyes of artists and photographers to capture the beauty of architectural marvel of a bygone era.

View of the first storey...

Marvelous carvings on the pillars and columns

Another view

Located in the village of Adalaj near Gandhinagar, the stepwell of Adalaj is one such example of architectural marvel. It was one of our stopping places while visiting Ahmedabad, after Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar to be more specific.

Adalaj stepwell was built in 1498 in the memory of king Rana Veer Singh by his wife queen Rudabai.
The construction of the vav was started by the king Rana Veer Singh to provide relief for people of this semi-arid region. However, before it was completed he was killed in a war by a Muslim ruler called Mehmud Begada. Mehmud, eventually, fell in love with the widowed wife of King Rana- Queen Roopba (also called Ruda Bai) asked her to marry him. The queen agreed to marry him but on one condition- that the incomplete step well be completed. In the years that followed, Mehmud completed the step well but only to witness that the Queen had tricked him and drowned in the same step well after construction.

Complete view of the well

The stepwell is five- storied and was built using standstone in Solanki architectural style. It has varied Hindu and Jain floral and mythological motifs all over the walls. Among the motifs found, the Ami Khumbor (pot that contains water of life) and Kalpa Vriksh (tree of life) carved out of a single slab of stone are important ones. This richly ornamented Vav is in octagonal shape and the temperature inside the well remains 5-6 degrees lower than the outside ambient temperature.

Kalpavriksh carved on a single slab of stone...

Ami Khumbor

Intricate and breathtaking carvings on the walls

Carvings on exterior walls

Being a popular tourist destination because of its proximity to Akshardham temple, each nook and corner of the vav was packed with huge crowd in the early afternoon of October when we visited. The crowd had definitely made our enthusiasm go down as at least one group was present in all the corners of the well stopping us from taking a closer look at the beautiful motifs on the wall. I made every effort to keep them out of my camera frame. On a quiet day, one could wander around exploring the beauty of this architectural extravaganza 

Sun Temple at Modhera

A couple of playful squirrels welcomed us to one of the few shrines dedicated to the Sun God- the Sun Temple at Modhera. This was our stop before heading towards Patan (read about it here). With only a countable number of visitors, the sandstone temple against the clear blue sky was a beautiful sight to behold.

The Sun temple, situated on the river Pushpavathi, was built by Bhimdev I of the Solanki dynasty. He is the same king on whose memory his wife built the Rani- ni- Vav in Patan. Solankis were descendants of Sun (Suryavanshis), so a temple dedicated to Him. The temple stands gloriously on a raised platform even after undergoing several attacks by Mahmud Ghazni.

The Sun temple and the sacred tank...

According to the legends, Rama, while returning from Lanka after killing Ravana wanted to wash away his sins of killing a Brahmin. Vasishta Muni directed him to Dharmaranya where Rama performed a 'yagna' and established a village called Sitapur. Sitapur is the same village that came to be known as Modhera in later years.

This east- facing temple has three main parts- the Surya Kund (stepped water tank/ sacred resevoir), the Sabha Mandapa (or Ranga Mandapa) and Gud Mandapa (temple with the Gurbhagriha but it does not have an idol to worship at present).

Even before we enter the temple, we get a glimpse of the Surya Kund on the right side. The Surya Kund is rectangular in shape with pyramid shaped steps that make a beautiful geometric pattern. A unique feature in this step well is the placement of small temples on these steps. The shrines of Ganesha, Shiva and various other Gods adorn these temples. The tank (also called Rama Kund) is house to many turtles too.

Surya Kund

Pyramid shaped steps and small shrines along the steps...

The pillars of Kirti Torana...

A flight of steep steps from the Surya Kund can lead us to the Sabha Mandapa through a Kirti Torana (victory arches). But only the pillars remain now. The Sabha Mandapa (used as an assembly and dance hall) is octagonal in shape with 52 pillars denoting 52 weeks of the year. Scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna Leela are intricately carved on these pillars. Each pillar is connected to the next pillar with either a semi- circular or triangular arch. These 'Toranas' give the Sabha Mandapa's ceiling and pillars a floral look.

Sabha Mandapa

Ceiling inside Sabha Mandapa...

Pillars inside Sabha Mandapa...

Semi Circular arches...

Walking through one of the doors from Sabha Mandapa, we reached the Guda Mandapa. This is where the Garbhagriha (without any idol) exists. The temple sits on Tropic of Cancer that passes through Gujrat and during days of equinox the first sun rays would fall on the idol that was present in the Garbhagriha. The interiors of the Garbhagriha is dark and stinky (because of the bats). It is believed that the idol that was present earlier was made of pure gold that depicted Sun God. The idol sat in a deep plinth that was filled with gold coins. The exteriors (or the Mandapa) again, has exquisite carvings of Ashta Dikpalakas (deities that guard the eight directions), Brahma, Shiva, Sarasawati and many other deities. 

Main Temple...

Carvings outside the Guda Mandapa...

The Sun temple is an architectural site that has been very well maintained and a visitor can explore the site without any rush and disturbance as there is less crowd. 

Rani ki Vav (Wow)...

One of the main attraction that was listed in our Gujrat tour itinerary was to visit the 'queen' of all step wells in India- Rani ki Vav. We learned that this visit could be clubbed with other two important nearby places- the Sun temple at Modhera and Sidhpur to witness its' beautiful Bohra havelis. We skipped Sidhpur as we were short of time.

The garden leading to the step well...

The first glimpse of Rani ki Vav…

The view of the pillars once we descend the steps...

Rani- ki- Vav or the Queen's step well is situated in the town of Patan  (around 125 kms from Ahmedabad). The well is almost hidden among the sprawling gardens spread across the area.  Located in the banks of river Saraswathi, it was built in the 11th century by Queen Udayamathi not only in memory of her beloved husband Bhimdev I (the founder of the Solanki dynasty) but also to keep up a traditional practice called- 'Parvathi's Penance'- goddess separated by death from her consort and practicing austerities to win reunion.

View from other end (notice the stairs and the levels one has to descend)… 

The depth and the levels of the well...

The well is constructed in the form of an inverted temple in keeping with the notion that 'water is scarce in the semi-arid region and thus will be revered as God'. It has 7- storeys which is 64 mts long, 20 mts. wide and 27 mts deep. There is also a small gate below the last step well (which is blocked now) with a 30 kms tunnel which leads to the nearby town Sidhpur. But entry into the well after forth level is prohibited for public.

The step well was flooded in 14th century by the near by Saraswathi river and silted over which was later excavated by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1980s. Due to its' late discovery, much of the structure is still in good shape.

Vishnu in standing pose (at the far right end)…

Vishnu in supine pose...

Sculptures on the galleries...

Dasavataras…

There are more than 800 elaborate sculptures and 226 pillars in the 7 galleries of the vav. The central 
theme of these sculptures being 'Dasavataras' or the 'Ten Incarnations' of Vishnu, each 'avatar' has been intricately depicted. The view of the 'Vishnu' in a standing pose and that of 'Sheshashayana Vishnu' in the inner sanctums are very unique. Made with black stones, these sculptures can be seen their respective levels only but not from any other levels. 

Geometric designs on walls...

Other major depiction in the step well is that of Gauris (different forms of Parvathi, Shiva's consort). 
Nagakanyas and apsaras in different moods showcasing different styles of make-up (solah shringar) is appealing too. Detailed geometrical designs 'patola' can also be seen at various places which has its' significance till modern times as it is being reproduced in the form of Patola sarees.  

The step well as well as the entire vicinity has been very well maintained. It gets very few visitors as compared to the crowded Adalaj step well (near Gandhinagar) so we were able to admire the beauty of this historical marvel in quietude.