Ajay Kumar at 18:19, 28 August 2023

2023-08-28T18:19:22Z

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[[Stepwell]]s are [[water well|wells]] in which the water is reached by steps. They are most commonly found in [[western India]] especially [[Gujarat]] where over 120 such wells are reported. The origin of the stepwell may be traced to reservoirs of the cities of the [[Indus Valley civilization]] such as [[Dholavira]] and [[Mohenjo-daro]]. The stepwells were constructed in the south western region of Gujarat around 600 AD. From there they spread north to Rajasthan and subsequently to north and west India. Construction activities accelerated during the tenth to 13th century during the Chaulukya and Vaghela periods. The construction of these stepwells hit its peak during the 11th to 16th century. The Muslim rulers of the 13th to 16th century did not disrupt the culture that was practiced in these stepwells and encouraged the building of stepwells. The wells lost their significance in the 19th century due to introduction of water pumps and pipe-systems.

==Ancient period==
[[Image:Dholavira1.JPG|thumb|Water reservoir, with steps, at [[Dholavira]]]]
The stepped well may have originated to ensure water during drought periods. The water is considered sacred from the time of [[Veda]]s and the steps to reach the water level in artificially construed reservoirs can be found in the sites of [[Indus Valley civilization]] such as [[Dholavira]] and [[Mohenjo-daro]].<ref name=news>{{Cite journal |author=Shuichi Takezawa |journal=Journal of Architecture and Building Science |volume=117 |issue=1492 |date=August 2002 |page=24 |url=http://news-sv.aij.or.jp/jabs/s1/jabs0208-019.pdf|format=pdf|title=Stepwells – Cosmology of Subterranean Architecture as seen in Adalaj|access-date=2009-11-18}}</ref>

==2nd-10th century==
[[File:Navghan Kuvo1.JPG|thumb|Navghan Kuvo|left]]
[[File:Adi Kadi Vav 03.jpg|thumb|Adi Kadi Vav|left]]
The earliest example of a bath-like pond reached by steps is found at the [[Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups|Uparkot caves]] in [[Junagadh]]. These caves have been dated to the fourth century. [[Navghan Kuvo]], a well with circular staircase, in the vicinity, is another example. It was possibly built in the [[Western Satrap]] (200-400 AD) or [[Maitraka]] (600-700 AD) period though some place it as late as the 11th century. The nearby [[Adi Kadi Vav]] is constructed either in the second half of the 10th century or 15th century.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=19}}<ref name=GONE/>

The earliest stepwells are found at [[Dhank]] in [[Rajkot district]] of Gujarat; they are dated to the pre-Chalukyan period. The nearby Bochavdi stepwell near Bochavdi Nes in Alech hills is slightly earlier than two other stepwells in Dhank. These are the Jhilani stepwell dated to 600 AD and the Manjushri stepwell dated to the early seventh century based on their Saurastra style architecture.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=19-20}}

==10th-12th century==
[[File:Rani ki vav 02.jpg|thumb|[[Rani ki vav]]]]
[[File:Mata Bhavani's Stepwell Ahmedabad 1866.jpg|thumb|[[Mata Bhavani's Stepwell]], Ahmedabad, 1866|left]]
The stepwell as a form of artistic architecture started during the [[Chaulukya dynasty|Chaulukya]] period. The stepwell situated west of ''kund'' of [[Sun Temple, Modhera|Modhera Sun Temple]] may belong to the 11th century whereas the ''mandapa'' above ground is from the 10th century. The [[Rani ki vav]] (the Queen's stepwell) of [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]] was constructed around 1050 AD. Ankol Mata stepwell at Davad and [[Mata Bhavani's Stepwell]] in [[Ahmedabad]] belonged to the third quarter of the 11th century.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=20}}

Several stepwells are ascribed to Minaldevi, the mother of Chaulukya ruler [[Jayasimha Siddharaja]]. The lake in [[Viramgam]] and a stepwell in [[Nadiad]] are ascribed to her.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=20}} The Minal stepwell in Balej village in [[Sabarkantha district]] is ascribed to her and was built in 1095 AD (Samvat 1152). Another Minaldevi Vav in [[Virpur (Rajkot)|Virpur]] in [[Rajkot district]] is also ascribed to her and has stylistic affinities to Chaulukya architecture.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=20-21}}<ref name=GONE/> Asapuri stepwell of [[Ahmedabad]] and the stepwell of [[Jhinjhuwada]] are of the 12th century. The Chaumukhi stepwell of Chobari in [[Surendranagar district]] depicts religious figures similar to nearby temples.<ref name=GONE/> The stepwell in Dhandhalpur is ascribed to Jayasimha Siddharaja. During the reign of [[Kumarapala (Chaulukya dynasty)|Kumarapala]] in the 12th century, several stepwells were constructed. The stepwell at Vayad near [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]] was built during this time. Ganga stepwell at [[Wadhwan]] has been dated to 1169 AD (Samvat 1225).{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=21}}

During the later years of the Chaulukya period, construction slowed down due to political unrest. The Vikia and Jetha stepwells near [[Navlakha Temple, Ghumli]] near the Barda hills belonged to the 13th century. The Gyan stepwell near Visavada village in the Barda hills is ascribed to the time of [[Bhima II]]. The ruined stepwell of nearby Keshav village is of the same period.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=22}}

==12th-13th century==
The [[Ra Khengar Vav|Ra Khengar stepwell]] between [[Vanthali]] and [[Junagadh]] is stated to be constructed by Tejapala of the [[Vastupala]]-Tejapala, the brother-ministers in Vaghela court. It belongs to the early Vaghela period. Visaldev of [[Vaghela dynasty]] built the stepwell along with gates and temples at [[Dabhoi]], completed in 1255. The Satmukhi stepwell in Dabhoi is a temple built over a tank with seven wells ascribed to him.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=22}}<ref name=GONE/>

The [[Madhavav]] in [[Wadhwan]] was built in 1294 AD (Vikram Samvat 1350) by Nagar Brahmin Madha and Keshav, the ministers in court of the last Vaghela ruler [[Karna (Vaghela dynasty)|Karna]].<ref name=GONE/> The Batris Kotha stepwell in [[Kapadvanj]] may have belonged to the 13th century due to its similarity with the Madha and Vikia stepwells.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=22}}<ref name=GONE/>

==14th-15th century==
[[File:Adalaj ni Vav (5082790145).jpg|thumb|[[Adalaj Stepwell]]]]
[[File:Stepwell staircase.JPG|thumb|left|[[Dada Harir Stepwell]]]]
A large number of stepwells were constructed in the 14th century. Sodhali stepwell in [[Mangrol, Kathiawar|Mangrol]] was built in 1319 AD (V. S. 1375) by Vali Sodhala of Modha caste.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=22}} The [[Brahma Vav]] near the Brahma temple of [[Khedbrahma]] belonged to the 14th century judged by its style.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=23}}

The Suda stepwell in [[Mahuva, Bhavnagar|Mahuva]] (1381 AD), Hani stepwell in Dhandhusar (1389–1333 AD) and Siddhnath Mahadev stepwell in [[Dholka]] were built during Tughluq rule in Gujarat. The stepwell of Sampa near Ahmedabad was built in 1328 AD.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=23}} The Rajba stepwell of Rampura near Wadhwan and the Wadhwani stepwell in [[Khambhat]] were built in 1483 and 1482 respectively based on the earlier Madha stepwell of Wadhwan.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=23}}<ref name=GONE/> The [[Dada Harir Stepwell]] was built in 1499 by the ''harem'' lady of [[Mahmud Begada]].{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=23}}<ref name=GONE/> The two stepwells in [[Kaleshwari Group of Monuments|Kaleshwari-Ni Nal]] near [[Lunawada]] belongs to 14-15th century but the iconography in it belongs to 10th century.<ref name="Bhatt2014">{{cite book|author=Purnima Mehta Bhatt|title=Her Space, Her Story: Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWmiDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT46|date=16 December 2014|publisher=Zubaan|isbn=978-93-84757-08-3|pages=46–47}}</ref>{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=21}}

During this period, the religious aspect of stepwells lost its significance. The stepwell of Sodali village near [[Mahemdavad]] and the stepwell in Mahemdavad itself, both of which belonged to the 15th century rule of Mahmud Begada, are its example. The two stepwells found in and around [[Vadodara]] are of the 15th century; one is near Sewasi village (V. S. 1537) and the other is the Navalakhi stepwell (1405 AD) of [[Laxmi Vilas Palace]].{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=23-24}}

The [[Adalaj Stepwell]] was constructed by Rudabai in 1499 AD. A nearby stepwell in Chhatral also belongs to the same period.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=23-24}}<ref name=GONE/>

==16th-18th century==
[[File:Amritvarshini Vav, Ahmedabad.jpg|thumb|[[Amritavarshini Vav]]]]
The Nagabawa stepwell in [[Dhrangdhra]] (1525 AD) and Jiva Mehta stepwell in [[Morbi]] are of the same style and period. The stepwell of Roho (1560 AD) was built by Champa, the wife of Raja Shri Nanaji and her daughter. There are also important stepwells in [[Palanpur]] and Jhinjhuwada.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=24}}

Several stepwells are plain in design without any ornamentation which makes it difficult to ascertain their period, but they may belong to the 16th or 17th century. Such stepwells are in Hampur and [[Idar State|Idar]], as well as the Matri stepwell in Kankavati and Gyaneshwari stepwell in [[Modhera]]. The stepwell of [[Mandva]] in north Gujarat is similar to that of Mahemdavad so may belong to that period. The Sindhvai Mata stepwell in Patan has an inscription dating to 1633 AD. The Ravli stepwell of Mangrol is of the 17th century. The stepwell in Limboi near Idar has Chaulukya style ornamentation and has been dated to 1629 AD.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=24}}<ref name=GONE>{{cite web | last=Shukla | first=Rakesh | title=ક્યારેક લોકોની તરસ છિપાવતા હતા ગુજરાતના આ જળ મંદિરો| website=gujarati.oneindia.com | date=24 June 2014 | url=http://gujarati.oneindia.com/features/some-interesting-stepwell-gujarat/slider-pf63029-019322.html | language=gu | access-date=20 November 2016}}</ref>

The [[Amritavarshini Vav]] in Ahmedabad, completed in 1723, is L-shaped.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=24}}<ref name=GONE/>

==19th-20th century==
The authorities during the [[British Raj]] found the hygiene of the stepwells less than desirable and installed pipe and pump systems to replace their purpose. [[Jethabhai's Stepwell]] in Isanpur, Ahmedabad was completed in the 1860s for irrigation. The stepwell of [[Wankaner]] palace was built by erstwhile rulers in the 1930s as a cool place of retreat for the royal family. It was built in white sandstone and is the last monument of its kind.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=24}}

Due to waterpumps and pipe-systems, the stepwells lost their significance and due to economic cost, they were not constructed thereafter.{{sfn | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective | 1981 |page=24}}

==See also==
* [[Architecture of Gujarat]]
* [[Boter Kothani Vav]]
* [[Sanitation in the Indus Valley Civilization]]
* [[History of water supply and sanitation]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book|author=Jutta Jain-Neubauer|title=The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=61fSwBF4bbYC|year=1981|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-0-391-02284-3|pages=19–24| ref={{sfnref | The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective| 1981}}}}

[[Category:Stepwells in Gujarat|*]]
[[Category:Cultural history of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian architectural history]]

History of stepwells in Gujarat - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:19, 28 August 2023