Rani ki Vav

Rani ki Vav, India

The seven descending levels of Rani ki Vav under warm sunset light, viewed past a carved stone pillar.

Rani ki Vav is a carved stepwell in Patan, Gujarat, and one of India's most striking surviving examples of its kind.

The place

Rani ki Vav, which means the Queen's Stepwell, sits in the town of Patan in Gujarat, on the banks of the Saraswati River. It is a stepwell, a deep well with stairs that descend in stages to the water, and it was built to be entered rather than simply drawn from. The stairs run down through seven levels, and the walls of each level carry sculptural panels. Visitors often describe it as an underground shrine, and that is a fair description: the whole structure is arranged around the idea that water is sacred, so the descent feels like moving toward something holy. The panels contain more than 500 principal figures and over a thousand smaller ones, mixing religious scenes, everyday life and symbolic motifs. Many of the figures are Hindu deities, and the carving is dense enough that it rewards slow looking. The site is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2014. Most of the monument is cut into the ground, so the first impression is of depth and shade rather than height. The top of the structure is open to the sky, and the lower levels stay noticeably cooler. Go in the cooler months, bring water, and expect the steps to be steep and uneven in places.

Its story

Rani ki Vav was built during the rule of the Chaulukya dynasty, which controlled much of this part of western India in the eleventh century. A Jain monk's chronicle, written a few centuries later, credits the stepwell to Udayamati, a queen connected to the king Bhima I, and says it was completed after a long construction period. Historians have debated whether she commissioned it as a widow or as a serving queen, and some believe the project was finished after the king's death under a later ruler. The stepwell was not built in isolation. Patan was an important town on trade routes, and the Chaulukya rulers filled it with temples and water works. The complex fell into ruin after the town was attacked by sultanate armies from Delhi in the years that followed. The Saraswati River shifted and flooded the structure, which silted over until only the top of the well shaft and a few pillars remained visible. British officials who visited in the late nineteenth century found it almost entirely buried. It was uncovered in the twentieth century and restored by the Archaeological Survey of India, which continues to care for it. Today the stepwell is protected, and its survival is a reminder of how much of India's built heritage lies under later layers of history.

What to see

Culture

Rani ki Vav is a protected heritage monument, and visitors are expected to treat it with the care due to a place of worship as well as a historic site. Modest clothing is the norm, and shoulders and knees are best covered. Many of the carved figures are still honoured by local people, so behave calmly near the sculptures and avoid climbing on the carved edges. Photography is generally allowed, but ask before photographing people at prayer or making close pictures of anyone who is worshipping. Gujarat has a strong business culture, and people value courtesy and punctuality in conversation, so a friendly greeting and a few words of Gujarati go a long way. Basic phrases such as aabhar, meaning thank you, are warmly received. Community ties in Patan are close, and showing interest in local crafts or food often leads to friendly exchanges. In rural areas people can be more conservative, so keep your voice low and your behaviour unobtrusive. When visiting, remove your shoes wherever you see a shrine area or a step up to a sacred space, and do not walk on the carved steps with footwear where signs ask you not to.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Gujarat is colourful and closely tied to community and occasion. Women often wear the chaniya choli, a fitted blouse and a long, flared skirt with a draped scarf, while many older women wear the sari in cotton or silk. Men traditionally wear a kediyu, a knee-length tunic, with a dhoti or churidar. Textiles are central to the state's identity. Bandhani, tie-dyed cotton in small dots, is made in several centres, and patola, a double-ikat silk, has long been prized for weddings. Kutchi embroidery, worked in silk and mirror, shows up on bags, waistcoats and wall hangings. In Patan itself, the patola tradition is especially associated with the town, so visitors may see it in shops. What people wear today is a mix. In towns and cities you will see jeans, kurtas and saris side by side, and many people wear Western clothes at work. Traditional dress tends to appear at festivals, weddings and temple visits. For a visit to Rani ki Vav, wear light cotton that covers the shoulders and knees, since the sun is strong above ground and the stone is hot to touch. Choose shoes you can remove easily, and bring a scarf for the sun or for covering your head in some sacred areas. Comfortable, closed sandals with grip are better than heels for the steps.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. November to February, when the days are cooler and dry and the stone is comfortable to walk on. By March the heat is already building, with highs near 43 °C, so it is better to visit before then. From April to June the heat is intense, and the monsoon from June to September brings rain and humidity, though the monument can look striking after rain.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. The nearest large airport is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, from which Patan is reached by road; check current journey times on a map before you set out. Trains serve the wider region, so confirm the nearest station and the last leg with a local timetable.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources