ArnoldBAp at 02:04, 10 March 2026

2026-03-10T02:04:54Z

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{{Infobox Historic building
|name = Madhavav
|image =
|caption =
|coordinates = {{coord|22.709364|71.674411|region:IN-GJ|display=inline, title}}
|location_town = [[Wadhwan]]
|location_country = India
|architect = Local
|client =
|engineer =
|construction_start_date =
|completion_date = 1294
|demolished_date =
|cost =
|structural_system =
|architectural_style = [[Indian architecture]]
| floor_count = Six storied stepwell
|designations = [[Archeological Survey of India|ASI]] State Protected Monument No. S-GJ-226
|mapframe-zoom =14
|mapframe-marker=water
}}
'''Madhavav''' or '''Madhav Vav''' is a [[stepwell]] located in [[Wadhwan]] town of [[Surendranagar district]], [[Gujarat]], India. It is located in the western side of old town.

==History==
[[File:Plan and section of Madhavav, a stepwell in Wadhwan, Gujarat, India.jpg|thumb|Plan and section of Madhavav]]
[[File:Sculptured screens from Madhavav, a stepwell in Wadhwan, Gujarat, India.jpg|thumb|sculptured screens from Madhavav]]
There are two inscriptions in the stepwell. The Sanskrit inscription states that it was built by Madhav and Keshav, the [[Nagar Brahmin]] minister brothers in the court of [[Karandev II]] of [[Vaghela dynasty]] in 1294 ([[Vikram Samvat]] 1350) in honour of his parents. The second inscription, which is much eroded, tells about Lashamidevi (Lakshamidevi), daughter of [[Nagar Brahmin]] minister Sodhal; and Sindhu, son of Soma who were probably the parents of Madhav.<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=PT45|date=16 December 2014|publisher=Zubaan|isbn=978-93-84757-08-3|pages=45–46}}</ref><ref name="Jain-Neubauer1981">{{cite book|author=Jutta Jain-Neubauer|title=The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=61fSwBF4bbYC&pg=PA77|date=1 January 1981|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-0-391-02284-3|pages=22, 51–53, 77}}</ref> The stepwell is now state protected monument but is not maintained well.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/news/SAU-MAT-latest-vadhvan-news-034003-218437-NOR.html|title=ઝાલાવાડની ઐતિહાસિક માધાવાવ જીર્ણશીર્ણ થઇ|date=2014-07-09|newspaper=Divya Bhaskar|access-date=2017-02-18|language=gu}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.104277|title=Somanatha And Other Mediaeval Temples In Kathiawad|last=Cousens|first=Henry|date=1931|publisher=Government of India Publication Branch|location=Calcutta|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.104277/page/n66 54]–55}}</ref>

==Legends==
According to legend, the stepwell was dry for twelve years after its construction. The royal astrologer predicted the need of sacrifice by an ideal couple for water in the stepwell. The prince and her wife agreed for welfare of people even though they had an infant. They descended the stepwell in bridal clothes. As they reached the seventh step, the stepwell filled with water and they drowned. They sacrifice ensured water in the stepwell.<ref name="Bhatt2014"/><ref name="Ray2005">{{cite book|author=Bharati Ray|title=Women of India: Colonial and Post-colonial Periods|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=142HAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA528|date=15 September 2005|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-81-321-0264-9|pages=527–528}}</ref><ref name="Gujarat Samachar 2012">{{cite web | title=Madhavav: Photo-story | first=Jhaverilal | last=Mehta | website=[[Gujarat Samachar]] | date=22 August 2012 | url=http://www.gujaratsamachar.com/gujaratsamachar.com/20120822/purti/shatdal/photo.html | language=gu | access-date=18 February 2017 | archive-date=18 February 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218105223/http://www.gujaratsamachar.com/gujaratsamachar.com/20120822/purti/shatdal/photo.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

The legend is popular folklore and is celebrated in folk-songs.<ref name="Bhatt2014"/> It is also believed locally that a ghost haunts the stepwell and demands death of a person by drowning every three years.<ref name="Jain-Neubauer1981"/>

==Architecture==
The stepwell is constructed in east-west direction; the entrance is in the west while the well is in the east. It is 55 metres long and the stepped corridor are 49.80 metres long. It is entered by small narrow staircase. It has six ''kuta'' (pavilion towers) and six flights of steps to descend. The breadth decrease at each pavilion; 6 metres at the flight of steps to 3.6 metres at the pavilion. Each pavilion formed by four pilasters is 2.7 metres long. Due to height of 4.80 metre between two pavilion, the thick wall is necessary. There are slightly convex roofs on each ''kuta'' in [[ogee]] moulding formed by nine horizontal tiers. The roofs are crowned by small finials in form of [[kalasha]].<ref name="Jain-Neubauer1981"/>

The well is 5.3 metres in diameter. At the top of the round well-shaft, there are six double-bent [[strut]]s in the last storey; four in back wall covered with stone lintel for drawing up water, in leathern bags for irrigation purposes.<ref name="Jain-Neubauer1981"/><ref name=":0" />

There are stone screens on each side of first ''kuta'' forming its walls. Each screen has 16 squares, four in each of four rows. The pattern of these screens are identical to Vimal Vasahi temple of [[Dilwara Temples]] on Mount Abu and Queens' Mosque, Sarangpur, [[Ahmedabad]]. The door-frame has small sculptures of seated gods in compartments of vertical parts of frame and scenes of daily life in horizontal lintel.<ref name="Jain-Neubauer1981"/>

In the walls, upon either side, at intervals in the descend, are sculptured niches holding groups of images which are very much mutilated. It includes sculptures of [[Bhairava]], [[Saptamatrika]], [[Navagraha]], [[Dashavatara]] and other gods and goddesses which are difficult to recognise due to its condition. There is sculptures of couple in one niche which is recognised as that of Madhav and his wife. There is a short inscription under it. It also has some erotic sculptures.<ref name="Bhatt2014"/><ref name="Jain-Neubauer1981"/><ref name=":0" />

==In popular culture==
The legend was depicted in Gujarati film ''Vanzari Vav'' (1977). ''Dehuna Daan Arthat Madhavav'', a play was created based on the legend. The folk-song of Madhavav is collected in ''Radhiyali Ratna Raas'' by [[Jhaverchand Meghani]]. Lalit Trivedi published a poem on the legend in his poetry collection, ''Andar Bahar Ekakar''.<ref name="GujLit">{{cite web | title=બાર બાર વરસે માધાવાવ ગળાવિયા / લલિત ત્રિવેદી | website=ગુજરાતી લિટરેચર | url=http://gujlit.com/book-index.php?bIId=1708&name=%E0%AA%AC%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B0%20%E0%AA%AC%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B0%20%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%B0%E0%AA%B8%E0%AB%87%20%E0%AA%AE%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%A7%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B5%20%E0%AA%97%E0%AA%B3%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B5%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%AF%E0%AA%BE%20/%20%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%A4%20%E0%AA%A4%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%B0%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%B5%E0%AB%87%E0%AA%A6%E0%AB%80 | language=gu | access-date=18 February 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tahuko.com/?p=10818 Read and listen two versions of folk-song on Madhavav on ''Tahuko'']
{{commons category}}

[[Category:Stepwells in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Surendranagar district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1294]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Gujarat]]

Madhavav - Revision history

ArnoldBAp at 02:04, 10 March 2026