India's age-old stepwells, some 3,000 of them, are engineering miracles, illustrating such sophisticated water management. Art and sustainability are firm partners in each of these wondrous projects that have so much use and yet boundless beauty.
Partially underground, their design is native to India and were used for storing water during weather-related shortages. And as social and religious meeting places too. Most were built somewhere from 7th century to the 19th century, the oldest is from around 600 AD.
Stepwells were known by many different names in different regional langauges -- baoli, baori, vaav, vavri, pushkarani, barav, kalyani, degeenar, baudi, bawdi. Found in many parts of India, they get shallower and closer to the design of a temple tank in the South.
Constructed in the 11th century by Rani Udhayamati, the Gujarat UNESCO-listed stepwell reflects Chalukya workmanship with numerous exquisite carvings, religious symbols, magnificent architecture. Said to be created like a reversed/inverted temple, because water is that precious and sacred, there are carvings of gods and goddesses.
Stand inside this more closed, 15th century sandstone stepwell in Gujarat and you feel like the entrance is a dome. Five-storey, it blends Hindu and Islamic styles reflecting -- legend has it -- ruler Mahmud Begada's love for Queen Rudabai. He built it for her, but she killed herself and would not marry him.
Constructed in the 17th century by Rani Nathavati Ji, the 46-m-deep stepwell has elaborate stonework and arches, acting as both a reservoir for water and an escape from Rajasthan's hot summers.
Also in Rajasthan, this one is absolutely breathtaking. Dating from the 8th and 9th-century, Chand Baori, named apparently after a Rajput ruler of the area, boasts 3,500 carefully-created steps over 13 levels. At 100 ft it is India's deepest stepwell, it once provided the water supply, and was a place to gather and gossip. Now it is an entrancing tourist destination.
Smack in the middle of busy, busy Connaught Place is an ancient stepwell, said to be constructed by godly King Agrasen and reconstructed in the 14th century. It has 103 steps, impressive architecture, spooky folklore (that it is haunted) and is a protected historical monument. PK and Sultan had scenes here.
Built in the 11th century by Bhimadeva I, the stunning stepwell, within the Sun Temple complex, features symmetrical staircases, 180 miniature shrines and served as a sacred water tank for religious purification.
A 16th-century stepwell it has symmetrical steps and a northern chamber. Built during Maharaja Jai Singh's reign, it served as a water reservoir, communal hub, and site for religious ceremonies at weddings and festivals.
Daulat Khan was the architect of the 16th-century stepwell at Mehrauli, outside Delhi. It has an Islamic style with arched tiers and lantern niches. Once a masons' bathing area, it now stands as a quiet, historic site, where it is rumoured spirits whisper and float about.
At Gurugram stands an 18th-century stepwell erected by Ghaus Ali Shah that served as a bathing space for women with even private compartments. Showcasing historic water conservation techniques, it remains a significant site admired for its architectural charm and cultural value.
Stepwells were found going south too. This one at Hampi came up under the kings of the Vijayanagara Empire and hosted grand boat festivals, while serving as a vital water reservoir. Its symmetrical design and sacred significance make it a fascinating landmark in Hampi today.
A uniquely octagonal stepwell, dating from the 18th century, Sahib Sau Virubhai Bhosale constructed it in Deccan Trap basalt to resemble a Shivling. Unlike traditional stepwells, it features side steps leading to lookout galleries. Its water irrigated the mango orchards around.
Built in red sandstone in 1740 by Rani Tawar Ji, the consort of King Abhay Singh Ji, it goes down 60 ft and features 400 stone steps. Apparently it was a tradition for women royalty to look after a kingdom's waterwork matters and therefore not surprising that the rani had it built.