Rani Ki Vav (lit. ‘The Queen’s Stepwell’) is a stepwell located on the banks of the Saraswati River in the town of Patan in Gujarat, India. It was originally constructed in the 11th century CE to commemorate a king. This stepwell is a unique form of underground water storage and resource system on the Indian subcontinent, with its origins dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. Rani Ki Vav is the only stepwell recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having received this designation in 2014. It was also awarded the тιтle of the cleanest iconic place in India at the Indian Sanitation Conference in 2016. Since July 2018, the ₹100 banknote of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series features an image of Rani Ki Vav on the reverse side.
Rani ki vav, a stepwell constructed during the Chaulukya dynasty’s rule, is situated on the banks of the Saraswati River. The Rani ki Vav was built as a memorial by Rani Udayamati for her husband, the 11th-century king, Bhima I of the Solanki Dynasty. This explains why the stepwell is known as the queen’s stepwell as it epitomizes the love of a queen.
According to Prabandha-Chintamani, a work by Jain monk Merutunga in 1304, Udayamati, daughter of Naravaraha Khengara, built this remarkable stepwell at Shripattana (now Patan), surpᴀssing the grandeur of the Sahasralinga Tank. It is believed to have been commissioned in 1063 and completed over 20 years. Tradition holds that Udayamati commissioned it in memory of her husband Bhima I (r. 1022–1064) and that it was likely completed by Udayamati and her son Karna after Bhima’s death. However, there is debate over whether she was widowed at the time of commissioning. Commissariat dates its construction to 1032, drawing parallels with the Vimalavasahi temple on Mount Abu, built the same year.
The stepwell was later buried under silt from the Saraswati River. In the 1890s, explorers Henry Cousens and James Burgess visited it when it was almost completely buried, with only the well shaft and a few pillars visible. They described it as a vast pit, 87 meters (285 feet) long. James Tod, in “Travels in Western India,” noted that materials from the stepwell were repurposed for another stepwell in modern Patan, likely Trikam Barot ni Vav (Bahadur Singh stepwell). In the 1940s, excavations by the Baroda State uncovered the stepwell, and a significant excavation and restoration by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took place from 1981 to 1987. An image of Udayamati was among the discoveries made during these efforts.
Exploring the Grand Architecture of Rani Ki Vav, Over 900 Years Old
Rani Ki Vav was constructed in the intricate Maru-Gurjara architectural style, featuring an inverted temple and seven levels of stairs. The architecture and sculptures are similar to those of the Vimalavasahi Temple on Mount Abu and the Sun Temple in Modhera.
Rani ki vav is classified as a Nanda-type stepwell. It spans approximately 65 meters (213 feet) in length, 20 meters (66 feet) in width, and reaches a depth of 28 meters (92 feet). The deepest part, the fourth level, leads to a rectangular tank measuring 9.5 by 9.4 meters (31 by 31 feet) at a depth of 23 meters (75 feet). The entrance is situated on the eastern side, while the well, located at the western end, features a shaft 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and 30 meters (98 feet) deep. The stepwell is arranged into seven levels of stairs that descend to a circular well. The stepped corridor includes regularly spaced compartments with pillared, multistory pavilions. The structure’s walls, pillars, columns, brackets, and beams are adorned with intricate carvings and scrollwork. Additionally, the side wall niches are decorated with delicate figures and sculptures. The stepwell boasts a total of 212 pillars.
The exquisite sculptural masterpieces found at Rani Ki Vav
It houses over 500 principal sculptures and more than a thousand minor ones, encompᴀssing religious, mythological, and secular imagery, often referencing literary works.
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The stepwell is ingeniously conceived as an underground shrine or inverted temple, symbolizing the sacredness of water. Its sculptural adornments portray a rich array of Hindu deities, including Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Kubera, Lakulisha, Bhairava, as well as goddesses such as Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati, and Chamunda, among others. These intricately carved sculptures add to the spiritual ambiance of the site, inviting visitors to contemplate the divine significance of water and its role in Hindu mythology and ritual.
