Rani ki Vav is one the architectural marvels which have got a prominent place not only in the history and architectural books but also on 100 rupees note of India. Rani ki Vav is located in Patan in Gujarat and until you see Rani ki Vav in real life it would be extremely difficult to relate to the grandeur of this architecture.
Rani ki Vav is not only a stepwell but it is also referred to as the Inverted temple.
In this blog post, I will take you through the history, architecture and details and nuances of Rani ki Vav which will help you to appreciate the majestic architecture a little more when you visit Rani ki Vav in Patan. But as we always do let's delve deeper into the history of Rani ki Vav to get a background on why and how this majestic structure was created.
What is the meaning behind the Name Rani ki Vav?
In Gujarati Vav means stepwell and in English Rani means queen which literally translates to The Stepwell of Queen. I heard of names like Agrasen ki Baoli then you can replace the word Baoli to Vav in Gujarati and the meaning remains the same. Baoli in Rajasthani is called stepwell.
Why were Stepwells built in India?
Stepwells were
mainly created in the dry and arid regions of Gujarat & Rajasthan to store water. The water table was low in these areas and hence they had to dig a little deeper to get the water. To reach the water normal steps used to be created so that people can take the staircase and reach the well to fetch water. In the initial days, the step wells were not ornate.
Over the period of time, the stairs/steps were made stronger by expanding them over length and breadth.
Over the centuries the design of these step wells became more complex with various levels and steps.
Since it was believed to be auspicious to create a step well and many step wells were created to commemorate the dead, the design of the well became more ornate. The kings built more complex step-wells with complex architecture and designs on the well. The step wells became a symbol of opulence and a medium to show architectural prowess over the years.
