About 18 Km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India there is a small village called Adalaj. Normally, you would not even think twice about including this rural place in your itinerary. But, what makes this remote setting special and truly worth a visit is its step-well, an ancient water source that is both beautiful and useful in knowing how art can reside even on the walls of a well!
When we first came to hear of the Adalaj vav, as it is locally known, we thought of paying it a visit just because of the novelty of the whole affair. A well where steps lead you to the water was not a common sight after all. But what we were definitely not prepared for was setting our eyes to less of a well and more of an enclosed chamber of marvelous hand chiseled wall carvings.
The step-well is five storeys high, rather five-storey under the ground. There are three entrances leading to the stepped corridors which in turn have an octagonal opening on the top. As you step down each storey you are confronted with some of the most beautifully crafted flower motifs, elephants, peacocks and fishes adorning the walls reminding one of the carved temples of ancient India which tourists are more used to seeing.
Engraved beauty. Courtesy Arijit Gupta
But even before you begin appreciating the intricate carvings on the walls, what catches your attention first are the erect pillars, 16 in all standing in perfect symmetry and supporting the whole magnificent structure. Even these flaunt some exquisite designs of flowers, and other frenzied motifs.
The Pillars. Courtesy Arijit Gupta
View up from the well. Courtesy twobythree from Flickr
Although the actual well has been closed with a wire mesh nowadays to avoid mishaps, there was a time when this particular place was not only frequented by people in need of water, but also by caravans and travelers looking for a night’s shelter or as a halting point to rest their feet.
Even today, we felt, the place felt cool and inviting, away from the scorching heat of an Indian summer and filled with artistry that someone could spend hours observing and admiring.
Gujarat as a state, I later found, is filled with these amazing heritage sites. There are a total of 120 step-wells in the state with Rani Vav being the oldest. With a vision to conserve the scarce water and not depend totally on the unpredictable monsoon, the medieval architect with patronage from the then rulers built these remarkable structures that today also preserve history within their walls.
What is also a very interesting story about the Adalaj step-well is about the lady, who built the well. It is said around here, that in the 14th century the place was ruled by a Vaghela chief called Veer Singh and his wife was queen Rudabai. Once in the battle for supremacy between the chief and another ruler named Sultan Beghara, the sultan killed the chief and asked the queen to marry him. Queen Rudabai thought of a way out of this lurid proposal by asking the sultan for some time till the construction of Adalaj step-well was finished. He agreed not knowing that the queen had other plans. When even after waiting for years the Sultan could not get the hand of the queen, he again proposed and it was then that the queen too proud to marry a person who had killed her husband, submerged herself into the water of the well.
We had begun our journey to just see a step-well but we ended knowing much more. The tale of a monument built for a practical purpose that also hides within its walls tales of diligent craftsmen who breathed life to plain stones, and the tale of a queen who laid her life to save her honor.
Do make sure your itinerary of Gujarat includes this heritage treasure buried in the grounds of a small village, Adalaj.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow !! I never knew that such a small place had such great history and people would go to such lengths to build a Well. A remarkable story indeed !!
- Tanmay
Yes, I did miss it. Visited Ahmedabad long time back, but didn’t had any idea of such a beautiful place.