Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat World Heritage Site

Official name

Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat | UNESCO

Country

India | Map

Continent

Asia

Location

23.8588° Lat, 72.1016° Lon | Map

Code

922

Time Zone

Asia/Kolkata (IST, +0530)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2014. Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati River, was initially built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD. Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constructed since the 3rd millennium BC. They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of art and architecture. Rani-ki-Vav was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and great beauty of detail and proportions. Designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, it is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality; more than 500 principle sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery, often referencing literary works. The fourth level is the deepest and leads into a rectangular tank 9.5 m by 9.4 m, at a depth of 23 m. The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a shaft 10 m in diameter and 30 m deep.