Adalaj Stepwell
Adalaj Stepwell is a unique Hindu ‘water building’ in the village of Adalaj, close to Ahmedabad. The stepwell was built in 1499 by Muslim king Mohammed Begda. The step well or ‘Vav’, as it is called in Gujarati, is intricately carved and is five stories in depth. Such step wells were once integral to the semi arid regions of Gujarat as they provided basic water needs for drinking, washing and bathing. These wells were also venues for colorful festivals and sacred rituals.
Stepwells, also called stepped ponds, built between the 5th and 19th centuries, are common in the west of India; over 120 such wells are reported in the semi-arid region of Gujarat alone, of which the well at Adalaj is most popular.It is octagonal in plan at the top, built on intricately carved large number of pillars. Each floor is spacious enough to provide for people to congregate. It was dug deep to access ground water at that level, accounting for seasonal fluctuations in water level due to rainfall over the year.
watching dreams fly pass through the intricate 'jalis' of stones. which is far more intriguing watching the chaotic world pass by through the window of my room or watching dreams interwoven amidst this old stone, muted spectator to the generations passed by. millions of hands which touched these stones, millions of feet which smoothed the rough stone floor. when one visits a place as old as this you feel a part of history, a connection between the past and dreams of the future yet to come. the adalaj step well near ahmedabad.
