Rani ki vaav
India is already well known for its monuments which were built as symbols of love by a man for his beloved; be it The Taj Mahal, Mastani Mahal, or Roopmati’s Pavilion. So is our UNESCO World Heritage site – Rani ki Vav in Patan but with a major twist in the love story. This huge architectural piece was constructed under the reign of Rani Udayamati for her late husband Raja Bhimdev. It is one of the rarest to be found, a love tribute from a woman to a man.
Visiting this 11th-century wonder monument takes us back 900 years as Rani ki Vav has been very carefully maintained and has become India’s cleanest iconic place. This type of structure is only found in the Indian subcontinent and falls under the category of step-wells.
The Rani ki Vav or the queen’s stepwell is probably the most detailed yet beautiful example of a stepwell throughout the world. Although these structures have been in India since the 3rd Millennium BC, Rani ki Vav is special because it was made as an inverted subterranean temple. Can you imagine, an upside-down temple? The innovative design of a stepwell and with a beautiful feel of entering the most sacred part of the temple – water. It celebrates the sanctity of water intensely and divinely.
Travelling to Patan to see the glorious Rani ki Vav is a full-day task and it’s best to get the early morning bus which takes almost 3 hours to cover the 127 km distance from Ahmedabad. There isn’t a direct train from Ahmedabad station but one can always take a train from Sabarmati. Once at Patan, the history of Gujarat’s glorious past begins to unfold. Patan was the then capital city of the Solanki Kingdom <present day Gujarat> with many excavations bringing out the sophistication of the empire as it dealt in coins and had a flourishing economy. But this kingdom was soon destroyed because of floods and major earthquakes. The Rani ki Vav was surprisingly re-discovered in the mid-20th century under huge layers of sand brought in by the mysterious Saraswati River when it flooded the city. This is the reason it took almost 30 years for the excavation to complete though it was discovered in the 1940s. The difficult yet successful task of bringing back the old glory was undertaken by the ASI <Archeological Survey of India>. Due to this monumental achievement by ASI, it has made its mark as a UNESCO world heritage in 2014.
To enter this marvellous arena the Indian nationals buy a ticket worth Rs 40 only but it is priced at Rs 600 for foreigners. The entry is towards the east and the step well is last to be seen at the far west. Surrounded by lush greenery it is a magnificent 7-storey structure that took almost 20 years to complete. The 212 pillars are spread around in a highly symmetrical manner in the 7 staircase levels. The structure itself is 213 feet long, 66 feet wide, and 92 feet in depth. The 31-foot square water tank must have been of both spiritual and natural significance. Visiting this tourist attraction today also makes us wonder how such a complex architectural wonder was designed a thousand years ago without having the modern tools or knowing modern Trigonometry. At first glance, it looks like an inverted ancient temple with each of its pillars having statues and impressions of gods, goddesses, and celestial beings. The carvings themselves are stunning with the iconography just as beautiful as the Vishnu temples in India. Though there are over 800 sculptures on the inner wall, the most visually stunning and eye-catching are the 299 Apsaras with their large variety of fashion statements where one of them can even be seen applying lipstick while others carrying unique costumes & ornaments along with unique hairstyles. But as most of the carvings are of Vishnu it is believed to be a Vishnu temple showing his empire of celestial, mythical creatures along with other significant flora and fauna which are very lifelike and the epitome of great craftsmanship.
Since it was flooded in the 13th century and had almost disappeared till the 19th century it’s been a magical journey for the Indian government to bring it back to its former glory. Its no doubt that today it is of utmost national importance and to honor it the Indian government has printed a picture of Rani ki Vav on the new Hundred Rupees note which makes it “note-worthy”.