Rani-ki-Vav, the Queen’s Stepwell, Gujarat, India

Rani-ki-Vav, the Queen’s Stepwell, Gujarat, India
Stepwells have long been recognized as a distinctive type of water storage system in India. Water wells with a sequence of steps descending to store the water. It is often believed that the water in the vav is magical, as it heals people thanks to the herbs found there.

On the banks of the Saraswati River, Rani-ki-Vav was built in the 11th century AD as a memorial to a ruler. Stepwells are a unique type of subterranean water resource and storage system that have been used on the Indian subcontinent from the third millennium BC. They progressed from a simple pit in sandy soil to complex multi-story works of art and architecture over time. Rani-ki-Vav was constructed at the pinnacle of stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, demonstrating mastery of this complex technology as well as tremendous beauty in detail and proportions.

It is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality; more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor sculptures combine religious, mythological, and secular imagery, often referencing literary works, and are designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water.