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

Rani-ki-Vav  (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (India)  is located on the banks of the Saraswati River and  was  initially built as a memorial to a king in the 11 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 principal 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 of  9.5 by 9.4 metres, at  a depth of  23 metres. The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a shaft, 10 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep.