Know about the famous Adi-Kadi stepwell in Junagadh

New DelhI: Junagadh is an ancient and the 7th largest city in Gujarat. It is known for its various attractive and interesting places.Literally translated, Junagadh means "Old Fort" and with its many eye-catching monuments which reminds one of its great history. Junagadh joined India on 9 November 1947 after a brief struggle between India and Pakistan.It was a part of Saurashtra state and later Bombay state. It became part of newly formed Gujarat state in 1960, after the Maha Gujarat movement.The city has acquired an important place in the tourist map of Gujarat with thousands of tourists visiting the city for religious, educational, and entertainment purposes.In Junagadh there is an amazingly and an unusual form of stepwell built which is entirely different from any other stepwell built in any part of India.This stepwell is carved out of stone leaving the structure of the well out of the original rock, unlike other stepwells dug through various kinds of subsoils and rock layers. The stepwell is popularly known as Adi-Kadi stepwell.The whole structure of the well is hewn out of a single stone and no structural construction is done.The interior of the stepwell looks like of a palace. There are pillars and walls built on all sides in a way that it has been cut out of rocks instead of joining two different pieces together.With the construction of the stepwell there is an intersting ancient story associated with it.It is believed that there was no sign of even a drop of water in this place despite digging through rocks and other efforts to search water in the stepwell.As a solution for extracting water from the rocks the royal priest had asked for two unmarried girls. He wanted them to be executed and offered as religious sacrifice to please the Gods.This was the ancient traditions of sacrifice to appease the Gods and keeping this in mind, two unmarried girls were selected and executed. It is believed that after this sacrifice water started flowing through the rocks.There is also another story associated with the stepwell.According to some sources two maids at the palace named Adi and Kadi used to come here and collect water from the stepwell. From then this stepwell is named as Adi-Kadi stepwell.It is a belief that tying threads around the trunks of the trees near the stepwell fulfils wishes of them who tie the threads.This Junahgadh stepwell is near the world-famous Buddhist caves in Girnar.There is a famous saying in Junagadh, ‘‘Adi Kadi vav ane navdhan kuvo, jena juwe toh jeevto mooto'' which means ‘‘One who has not seen the Adi-Kadi stepwell has led a futile life.''The stepwell is around 81 metres long and 4.75 metres wide. It is 41 metres deep and is carved out of a single stone.The Adi-Kadi stepwell can be reached by walking down a narrow of 120 stairs cuts down through the stone to meet the well shaft deep in the stone.Near the stepwell there is a fort constructed and a a cannon has been placed at the top of the fort. On both sides of the cannon the two beautiful lakes have been constructedEven today the construction of lakes at such a high altitude suprises many modern architects.There are many interesting facts associated with this stepwell:1. The stepwell has been made in an isolated place2. It does not dry up in any season3. The famous mythological figure Shravan Kumar was born at this place.