World Heritage Identification Number: 922
World Heritage since: 2014
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇳 India
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Rani-ki-Vav: A Testament to Ancient Water Management and Artistic Mastery
The Rani-ki-Vav, or the Queen's Stepwell, stands as a remarkable testament to the ingenuity and artistic prowess of the Chaulukya dynasty in medieval India. Located in the heart of Patan, Gujarat, this subterranean marvel has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2014.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati River, was initially built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD. Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constructed since the 3rd millennium BC. They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of art and architecture. Rani-ki-Vav was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and great beauty of detail and proportions. Designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, it is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality; more than 500 principle sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery, often referencing literary works. The fourth level is the deepest and leads into a rectangular tank 9.5 m by 9.4 m, at a depth of 23 m. The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a shaft 10 m in diameter and 30 m deep.
Encyclopedia Record: Rani ki Vav
Rani ki Vav is a stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat, India. It is located on the banks of the Saraswati River. Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, the spouse of the 11th-century Chaulukya king Bhima I. Silted over, it was rediscovered in the 1940s and restored in the 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India. It has been listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India since 2014. The stepwell is designed as an underground shrine or inverted temple, representing the sanctity of water, with the sculptures in the stepwell depicting numerous Hindu deities. It is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels. These panels have more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor ones that combine religious, secular and symbolic imagery.This vav indicates the beautiful arrangement of water harvesting for public usage in ancient time.Additional Site Details
Area: 4.68 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 23.8588888889 , 72.1016666667
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© Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
