Rani Ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell)

Rani Ki Vav (lit. ‘The Queen’s Stepwell’) is a stepwell in Patan, Gujarat, India. It is situated on the Saraswati River’s banks. It was built by Udayamati, daughter of Khengara of Saurashtra, queen and spouse of Chaulukya king Bhima I in the 11th century. The stepwell is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels; more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor sculptures combine religious, mythological, and secular imagery. It was designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water. The Archaeological Survey of India rediscovered it in the 1940s and restored it in the 1980s after it had been silent for many years. It’s on the list of things to do.

History

During the Chaulukya dynasty’s reign, Rani ki vav was built. It is situated on the Saraswati River’s banks. “Udayamati, the daughter of Naravaraha Khengara, built this novel stepwell at Shripattana (Patan) surpassing the glory of the Sahastralinga Tank,” according to the Jain monk Merutunga’s Prabandha-Chintamani, written in 1304, The Saraswati river water flooded the stepwell, causing it to silt up. Henry Cousens and James Burgess visited it in the 1890s when it was completely buried under the earth, with only the well shaft and a few pillars visible. They described it as a massive 87-meter-deep pit.

Rani ki vav has been designated as a National Monument and is protected by the ASI. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

On the 22nd of June, 2014, the sites were updated. At the 2016 Indian Sanitation Conference, it was named India’s “Cleanest Iconic Place.

Architecture

Rani ki vav is regarded as one of Gujarat’s finest and largest examples of stepwell architecture. It was constructed at the pinnacle of stepwell craftsmanship and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, demonstrating mastery of this complex technique as well as the beauty of detail and proportions.

It’s known as a Nanda-style stepwell. It is 65 meters (213 feet) long, 20 meters (66 feet) wide, and 28 meters (92 feet) deep. The fourth level is the deepest, leading to a rectangular tank measuring 9.5 meters by 9.4 meters (31 feet) at a depth of 23 meters (75 ft). The entrance is on the east side, while the well is on the west side and consists of a shaft. 10 m (33 ft) in diameter and 30 m (98 ft) in depth.

Over 500 major sculptures and over a thousand minor sculptures combine religious, mythological, and secular imagery, with many referencing literary works.

A large number of celestial beings exist (Apsaras). Apsara is depicted applying lipstick to her lips or chewing on an aromatic twig while a man tickles her feet in one sculpture. A sculpture of an Apsara warding off a monkey clinging to her leg and pulling at her clothes, revealing her seductive body, can be found on the northern side of the third-story pavilion.

A large number of sculptures depict women going about their daily lives and activities. A woman combing her hair and adjusting her earring is depicted in one sculpture, and taking a look in the mirror A woman writing a letter, a young woman with a scorpion climbing her right leg and her clothes sliding off unknowingly, a young woman pulling a dwarf-like man’s beard, and a woman holding a fish plate with a snake encircling her leg and reaching out to fish are among the other sculptures. A young woman emerges from one of the sculptures. In the good shaft, there are a series of ornamented cantilevered brackets that gradually increase in size. There are kalpavriksha carvings on the walls that repent fertility and nature worship, and kirtimukhas and makaras adorn the basements and capitals of pillars that bathe with her wet hair and a swan catching droplets of water falling from her hairs as if they were pearls.

Location

Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, is an exceptional example of a distinctive form of subterranean water architecture of the Indian subcontinent, the stepwell.

Rani ki Vav’s Little-Known Facts

• There is a gate under the last step of the well that leads to a 30-meter long tunnel that leads to Sidhpur, a town near Patan. This tunnel is said to have been used as a secret passage to flee during wars or invasions. 
• The structure is visible on the back of the new Rupee100 note.
• In and around the well, there used to be a lot of medicinal plants. The water in the well is said to have medicinal properties and can be used to treat diseases and ailments.

Conclusion

Rani-ki-Vav was constructed at the pinnacle of stepwell craftsmanship and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, demonstrating mastery of this complex technique as well as great beauty in detail and proportions. It is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality, and it is designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water.