“A vast sheet of water, covered with lotus flowers, amid which thousands of aquatic birds and animals live, at the shores of which bathers washed, surrounded by jungle greenery.”
Louis Rousselet, 1894.
Visually the stepwells have little presence above ground, a low masonry wall or pavilion. These are excavations that often descend down five to seven stories. An encounter with it generates both a sense of surprise and a feeling of utter displacement, descending into the earth has a particularly powerful impact. Once inside, the mind takes in the intelligent configurations of stairs, landings, galleries, interior balconies and underground chambers; the telescoping views, towering pavilions and the powerful dance of light and shadow is absolutely captivating.
Accustomed to looking up at architecture, rarely do we see structures with sublime engineering, craftsmanship and masonry going downwards. These magnificent structures have been an indispensable part of several Indian civilisations. Built by members of the ruling class, wealthy merchants or landowners, these were designed to store and replenish groundwater. During their glory days there would be peacocks dancing on the walls, noises of laughing children playing in abandon by the steps, and singing women as they went to collect water, creating a beautiful sanctum of happiness away from the scorching heat of the tropical landscapes.
A Stepwell that has had the privilege of being immortalized on the Indian Currency note of Rs.100 is also the only Stepwell to have been declared a UNESCO world heritage site; all because of Queen Udayamati, of the 11th-century Solanki dynasty who had immense love and respect for her King Bhimdev I to have a Stepwell built in his memory. With a large chasm in the ground, the sheer scale of the Vav is remarkable in terms of size, the profusion of sculptures and the quality of workmanship. It has seven levels of stairs, a multitude of sculptural panels and three columned multilevel pavilions that buttress the walls against the earth’s enormous pressure. As one descends deeper, the intriguing decorative stone pillars, intricate sculptures of deities and their consort animals seem to increase in number to form a dense veneer over the walls and columns. Here mud, stone and water are aesthetically transformed into a drama of the divine, frozen in time. Through the juxtaposition of steps, wall murals and pillared pavilions, light plays hide and seek forming mystical shadows.
Through our sectional model we present the Vav’s ingenious arrangement of stairs and pavilions which is bound to mesmerise the onlooker with its play of light and shadows.
Stepwells as a building typology is completely unique to India. As a design studio, we are absolutely captivated by these magnificent subterranean structures that are essentially stages for the orchestra of light and shadow.
We invite you to experience these breath taking structures in miniature form complete with its play of light and shadow.
Rani Ki Vav (Limited Edition)
Dimensions (WxDxH) : 450 x 95 x 225 mm
Weight : 13.40 kg
Material : Concrete and Brass
Note : The Artwork is made to order and ships in 2-3 weeks on conformation of order.
