{{Short description|UNESCO World Heritage Site in Patan, India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}} {{Infobox historic site | name = Rani ki Vav | image = Rani ki vav 02.jpg | coordinates = {{coord|23|51|32|N|72|6|6|E|region:IN-GJ_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | designation5_partof = n | embedded = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site |buffer_zone = {{convert|125.44|ha|acre|abbr=on}} |child = yes |ID = 922 |Year = 2014 |Criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(i), (iv)}}(i), (iv) }} | locmapin = India Gujarat#India | map_caption = Location in [[Gujarat]]##Location in India | area = {{convert|4.68|ha|acre|abbr=on}} | location = [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]] }} '''Rani ki Vav''' ({{literally|The Queen's Stepwell}}) is a [[stepwell]] situated in the town of [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]] in [[Gujarat]], India. It is located on the banks of the [[Saraswati River, Gujarat|Saraswati River]]. Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, the spouse of the 11th-century [[Chaulukya dynasty|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 Site|World Heritage Sites]] [[List of World Heritage Sites in India|in India]] since 2014. The stepwell is designed as an underground shrine or inverted temple symbolizing the sanctity of water, with sculptures depicting numerous [[Hindu deity|Hindu deities]]. It is divided into seven stair levels, each with sculptural panels. These panels contain more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor ones, combining religious, secular, and symbolic imagery.<ref name=":4" />
== History == [[File:Rani ki vav1.jpg|thumb|250px|Inside Rani ki Vav|left]] Rani ki Vav was constructed during the rule of the [[Chaulukya dynasty]]. It is located on the banks of [[Saraswati River, Gujarat|Saraswati River]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922|title=Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat – UNESCO World Heritage Centre|website=whc.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref> The city was sacked by [[Sultanate of Delhi|Sultan of Delhi]] [[Qutb-ud-din Aybak|Qutb-ud-din Aibak]] between 1200 and 1210, and again by [[Allauddin Khilji]] in 1298.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lal |first=Kishori Saran |author-link=K. S. Lal |title=History of the Khaljis (1290–1320) |year=1950 |publisher=The Indian Press |location=Allahabad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2XXqAQAACAAJ |oclc=685167335 }}</ref>{{Rp|p=84}}
''[[Prabandha-Chintamani]]'', composed by the Jain monk [[Merutunga]] in 1304, mentions: "Udayamati, the daughter of Naravaraha Khengara, built this novel stepwell at Shripattana (Patan) surpassing the glory of the [[Sahasralinga Tank]]". According to it, the stepwell was commissioned in 1063 and was completed after 20 years. It is generally assumed that it was built in the memory of [[Bhima I]] ({{reign|{{circa|1022}}|1064}}) by his queen Udayamati and probably completed by Udayamati and [[Karna (Chaulukya dynasty)|Karna]] after his death but whether she was a widow when she commissioned it is disputed. [[Commissariat]] puts the date of construction to 1032 based on the architectural similarity to [[Dilwara Temples|Vimalavasahi temple on Mount Abu]], built in the same year.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.325016|title=Gujaratlo Rajkiya Ane Sanskritik Itihas Granth Part-iii Itihasni Gujaratlo Rajkiya Ane Sanskritik Itihas Granth Part-iv Solanki|last=Shastri|first=Hariprasadji|date=1976|pages=135–137}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Vinod Chandra Srivastava |title=History of Agriculture in India, Up to C. 1200 A.D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FvjZVwYVmNcC&pg=PA857 |year=2008 |publisher=Concept |isbn=978-81-8069-521-6 |page=857}}</ref>
The stepwell was later flooded by the Saraswati River and silted over.<ref name=":6" /> In the 1890s, Henry Cousens and [[James Burgess (archaeologist)|James Burgess]] visited it when it was completely buried under the earth. Only the well shaft and a few pillars were visible. They described it as being a huge pit measuring {{convert|87|m|ft}}. In ''Travels in Western India,'' [[James Tod]] mentioned that the material from the stepwell was reused in the other stepwell built in modern Patan, probably Trikam Barot ni Vav (Bahadur Singh stepwell).<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite book|title=Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India|last1=Livingston|first1=Morna|last2=Beach|first2=Milo|publisher=Princeton Architectural Press|year=2002|isbn=1568983247|edition=First|location=New York|pages=63–64|oclc=48263695|author-link2=Milo C. Beach}}</ref> In the 1940s, excavations carried out under the [[Baroda State]] revealed the stepwell. In 1986, a major excavation and restoration was carried out by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI). An image of Udayamati was also recovered during the excavation. The restoration was carried out from 1981 to 1987.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Her Space, Her Story : Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat|last=Mehta Bhatt|first=Purnima|publisher=Zubaan|others=del Solar, Daniel|year=2014|isbn=9789383074495|location=New Delhi|pages=72–90|chapter=7. Queen's Stepwell (Rani ni Vav) - Patan, Gujarat|oclc=898408173}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bhopal/archeologist-who-restored-rani-ka-vav-recalls-his-role/story-R3Mq3CWwJYGfXSwiOQvYIN.html|title=Archeologist who restored Rani Ka Vav recalls his role|last1=Tomar|first1=Shruti|last2=Faruqui|first2=Mujeeb|date=2018-07-26|publisher=Hindustan Times|location=Bhopal|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref>
Rani ki Vav has been declared a [[Monuments of National Importance (India)|Monument of National Importance]] and protected by the ASI. It was added to the list of [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Sites]] [[List of World Heritage Sites in India|in India]] on 22 June 2014.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1157|title=Four new cultural sites inscribed on World Heritage List|date=2014-06-22|work=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|access-date=2014-10-11}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/06/gujarats-rani-ki-vav-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-site-list/|title=Gujarat's Rani ki Vav added to UNESCO World Heritage site List|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|access-date=22 June 2014}}</ref> It was named India's "Cleanest Iconic Place" at the 2016 Indian Sanitation Conference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/gujarat-world-heritage-site-rani-ki-vav-bags-cleanest-iconic-place-award/|title=Gujarat world heritage site: Rani ki Vav bags 'Cleanest Iconic Place' award|website=indianexpress.com|date=October 2016|language=en|access-date=2016-10-25}}</ref> == Architecture == [[File:Rani Ki Vav, Above View.JPG|thumb|Rani ki Vav, view from the top|left]] Rani ki vav is considered to be one of the finest and largest examples of stepwell architecture in Gujarat. It was built at the height of artisans’ expertise in stepwell construction and in the [[Maru-Gurjara architecture]] style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and the beauty of its detail and proportions. The architecture and sculptures are similar to the [[Dilwara Temples|Vimalavasahi temple on Mount Abu]] and [[Sun Temple, Modhera|Sun temple at Modhera]].<ref name=":3" />
It is classified as a ''Nanda''-type stepwell. It measures approximately {{convert|65|m|ft}} long, {{convert|20|m|ft}} wide and {{convert|28|m|ft}} deep. The fourth level is the deepest and leads into a rectangular tank {{convert|9.5|m|ft}} by {{convert|9.4|m|ft}}, at a depth of {{convert|23|m|ft}}. The entrance is located in the east, while the well is located at the westernmost end and consists of a shaft {{convert|10|m|ft}} in diameter and {{convert|30|m|ft}} deep.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3" /> The stepwell is divided into seven levels of stairs, which lead down to a deep, circular well. A stepped corridor is compartmentalized at regular intervals with pillared, multistorey pavilions. The walls, pillars, columns, brackets, and beams are ornamented with carvings and [[Scroll (art)|scrollwork]]. The [[Niche (architecture)|niches]] in the side walls are ornamented with delicate figures and sculptures. There are 212 pillars in the stepwell.<ref name=":3" />
=== Sculptures === <gallery mode=packed heights=200px> File:Rani ki Vav Vishnu.jpg|[[Varaha]] (centre), woman with snake (left) File:Rani ki Vaav 15.jpg|[[Vamana]] incarnation File:Rani ki vav - Patan - Gujarat - Wall Decorations.jpg|[[Parashurama]] in the centre File:Kalki on Stone Panel.JPG|[[Kalki]] incarnation (centre), women with lipstick or twig (left), and with monkey (right) File:Maa Durga idol in rani ki vav.jpg|[[Durga]] killing Mahishasura File:Gujarat heritage.jpg|[[Bhairava]] and Apsaras File:Ganesha, Sculptures at Rani ki Vav (15778247014).jpg|[[Ganesha]] with his consort and Apsaras </gallery> [[File:Rani Ki Vav - Patan, Gujarat.jpg|thumb|Wall with sculptural panels]] [[File:Queens stepwell, patan, gujarat.JPG|thumb|Wall with sculptural panels]] [[File:Rani ki vav 08.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Carved pillars]] There are more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor ones, often referencing literary works in combination with religious, symbolic, and secular imagery.<ref name=":4" /> The ornamentation of the stepwell depicts the entire universe inhabited by gods and goddesses, celestial beings, men and women, monks, priests, and [[laity]]; animals, fish, and birds, including seen and unseen ones, as well as plants and trees.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":7" />
The stepwell is designed as an underground shrine or inverted temple, symbolizing the sanctity of water.<ref name=":4" /> Sculptures in the stepwell depict numerous Hindu deities. These include gods such as [[Brahma]], [[Vishnu]], [[Shiva]], [[Ganesha]], [[Kubera]], [[Lakulisha]], [[Bhairava]], [[Surya]], [[Indra]] and [[Hayagriva]] and [[Devi|goddesses]] like [[Lakshmi]], [[Parvati]], [[Saraswati]], [[Chamunda]], Kshemankari, Suryani, the [[Matrikas|Saptamatrikas]] and [[Durga]] (as Mahishasurmardini). The sculptures associated with Vishnu outnumber all other deities, and include Sheshashayi Vishnu (Vishnu reclining on the thousand-hooded snake [[Shesha]] in the celestial ocean), Vishwarupa Vishnu (Cosmic form of Vishnu) and the [[Dashavatara]] (ten incarnations) of Vishnu.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective|last=Jain-Neubauer|first=Jutta|publisher=Abhinav Publications|year=1981|isbn=0391022849|edition=First|location=New Delhi|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=61fSwBF4bbYC&pg=PA35 35] |oclc=19399030}}</ref> Other sculptures include families of deities such as Brahma-Savitri, [[Parvati|Uma]]-[[Shiva|Maheshwar]] and Lakshmi-Narayan. Notable among other sculptures are [[Ardhanarishvara|Ardhanarishwara]] (Shiva and Parvati in a combined, androgynous form) and a group of [[Navagraha]] (the nine planets) as well.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />
There are a large number of celestial beings (''[[Apsara]]s''). One sculpture of an Apsara depicts her either applying lip paint or chewing on an aromatic twig, while a man attends to her feet. On the northern side of the third-storey pavilion, there is a sculpture of an Apsara warding off a monkey clinging to her leg. At her feet, there is a nude female with a snake around her neck. There are also sculptures of Nagkanya (a serpent princess) with long hair and a swan, as well as depictions of celestial dancers in classical dance positions.<ref name=":3" />
There are numerous sculptures depicting women in their everyday lives and activities. One sculpture depicts a woman combing her hair, adjusting her earring, and looking at herself in the mirror. Other sculptures include a woman writing a letter; a young woman with a scorpion climbing her right leg and her clothes sliding off; a young woman pulling the beard of a dwarf-like man; and a woman holding a plate of fish, with a snake encircling her leg and reaching toward the fish. One sculpture depicts a young woman emerging from her bath with wet hair, while a swan catches droplets falling from her hair like pearls. The women in these sculptures are adorned with jewelry, including bangles, earrings, necklaces, waist girdles, anklets, and elegant clothing, as well as well-combed hair. A variety of expressions and emotions are depicted in them, representing beauty and love in their sublime and seductive forms. There are sculptures representing maternal love, such as a woman holding her child and pointing to the moon to divert his attention, a woman raising her child high to let him pick a mango from a tree, and a woman in a mango grove accompanied by children.<ref name=":3" />
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px> File:Rani Ka Vav, Patan, Gujarat.jpg|Cantilevered brackets in well shaft File:Inside rani ki vav another wall structure.jpg|Geometric lattice patterns and designs resembling [[Patola Sari|Patola]] textile designs </gallery>
There are gradually increasing [[cantilevered]] brackets in the well shaft, which are profusely ornamented.<ref name=":7" /> [[Kalpavriksha]] carvings on the wall represent fertility and nature worship, while [[kirtimukha]]s and [[makara]]s adorn the basements and capitals of pillars.<ref name=":3" /> There are [[latticework]] patterns and designs resembling local, geometric textile designs, and traditional [[Patola Sari|Patola]] designs are featured on the wall at the stepwell's northern entrance. These may have been adapted from wood carvings and temple ceilings.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":7" /> Figures of horses, elephants, and lions decorate pillars and basement moldings.<ref name=":3" />
== Depiction == Since July 2018, the [[Indian 100-rupee note|{{INR}}100]] banknote of [[Mahatma Gandhi New Series]], features Rani ki Vav on the reverse.<ref>{{Cite web|title = RBI to Issue New Design ₹ 100 Denomination Banknote|url = https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=44533|website =rbi.org.in|access-date = 2018-07-19|language = en}}</ref>
[[File:India new 100 INR, Mahatma Gandhi New Series, 2018, reverse.png|thumb|300px|centre|The reverse of the [[Indian 100-rupee note|{{INR}}100]] banknote featuring Rani ki Vav]]
== See also == * [[Adalaj Stepwell]] * [[Agrasen Ki Baoli]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{Cite book |last=Mankodi |first=Kirit |year=1991 |title=The Queen's Stepwell at Patan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fu7VAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Project for Indian Cultural Studies |location=Bombay |language=en |isbn=978-81-900184-0-1 |oclc=28801053}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [http://www.cyark.org/projects/rani-ki-vav 3D model] at CyArk
{{World Heritage Sites in India}}
[[Category:Rajput architecture]] [[Category:World Heritage Sites in India]] [[Category:Cultural history of Gujarat]] [[Category:Māru-Gurjara architecture]] [[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat]] [[Category:Stepwells in Gujarat]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Patan district]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Gujarat]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in India]] [[Category:Water Heritage Sites in India]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Gujarat]]