Top 5 ancient stepwells in India

New Delhi: The problem of water scarcity has been quite reflective in the Northern India. While water is considered very essential for every human being, it also has a special status in Hindu mythology.In the first century AD, the shores of the major rivers were controlled by the construction of ghats comprising of stairs and landings. The same approach was applied to the construction of a new kind of wells known as stepwell.The stepwells that were not just the source of drinking water, but also a place for bathing, prayer, and meditation.The earliest stepwells most likely date to about 550 AD, but the most famous were built in medieval times.The wells are called by many names. In Hindi, they are called baori, baoli, baudi, bawdi, or bavadi. In Gujarati, they are commonly called vav.Here we are presenting the list of top 5 ancient stepwells in India: Adalaj StepwellLocated in the village of Adalaj near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the Adalaj Stepwell was built by Muslim king Mohammed Begda for Queen Rani Roopba.Built in 1499, Adalaj Stepwell is intricately carved and comprises of five stories.It is said that the construction of Adalaj Stepwell was started by Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty of Dandai Desh in 1498.But after his death in a war, the Muslim king Mahmud Begada of a neighbouring state built it in Indo-Islamic architectural style, in 1499.The Adalaj Stepwell is built in sand stone in Solanki architectural style.Having an octagonal shape from the top, the stepwell also consists of numerous pillars. Raniji ki Baori Situated in Bundi town of Rajasthan, the Raniji ki Baori was built in 1699.Built by the younger queen of the ruling Rao Raja Anirudh Singh of Bundi, Rani Nathavati Ji, Raniji ki Baori is also known as the "Queen's stepwell".Comprising of a high arched gate, Raniji ki Baori is a 46 m deep stepped well which has amazing carvings on its pillars.A multistoried structure, the stepwell has a narrow entrance marked by four pillars along with places of worship on each floor of the building.Raniji ki Baori also features stone elephant statues facing each other in the corners. Agrasen ki Baoli Located in the capital of India, Agrasen Ki Baoli, is designated as a protected monument by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958.The Baoli was originally built by Maharaja Agrasen, in the Mahabharat era, and later rebuilt by the Agrawal community in the 14th century, most probably during the Tughlaq period.Though the baoli is completely dry now, but the gurgling sound of pigeons, and squeaky chatter of bats echoing off the stone walls makes this place creepy.Some parts of the well, with 103 steps, are permanently immersed in water. The visible parts of this historical step well consist of three levels. Each level is lined with arched niches on both sides. Rani ki VavLocated in the Patan city of Gujarat, Rani ki Vav is an intricately constructed stepwell constructed during the rule of the Solanki dynasty.The magnificent east-facing step well, Rani ki Vav is said to be built in the memory of Bhimdev I the son of Mularaja, the founder of the Solanki dynasty.The stepwell comprises of a stepped corridor compartmented at regular intervals along with pillared multistory pavilions.The minute and exquisite carving of this stepwell is one of the finest specimens of its kind.Considered as the queen among step wells of India, Rani ki Vav was added to the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites on 22 June 2014. Rajaon ki BaoliA famous stepwell in Mehrauli Archaeological Park in Delhi, Rajaon ki Baoli is believed to have been built by Daulat Khan during the reign of Sikandar Lodi in 1516.The name Rajaon ki Baoli is attributed to the assumption that this step well was used for sometimes by the masons or the raj mistris hence got the name as “Rajaon Ki Baoli”.The magnificent three-storeyed stepwell, Rajaon ki Baoli is one of the major highlights of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park.The Rajaon ki Baoli comprises of a 12-pillared tomb and a beautifully decorated mosque in its complex.Since almost the entire structure is subterranean, one can only see the top-most storey of the stepwell, but the entire structure unfolds itself as you walk towards it stairs leading down to the ground water