Millions of tourists visiting India go to luxurious forts, tombs, palaces and temples, but they completely ignore one of the oldest structures in this area - the step wells. All of them are hundreds of years old, but today these centuries-old works of architecture stand in desolation.
The only way to get water
The first stepped wells in India began to appear in the 2nd-4th centuries AD. This was virtually the only way to provide people with access to water in an arid climate that was replaced by heavy rains. At first, the wells were very simple, with stairs along the walls and minimalist design, but each new structure became more sophisticated. By the 11th century, they turned into real works of art, decorated with various sculptures, figures of animals and deities.
India is the only place where such wells were built, and, probably, in its beauty, hardly any other underground structure can compare with them. They were called differently in different states: in Gujarat they were known as Wawas, and, for example, in Rajasthan as Baoli. There are also other names: baori, baudi.
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Depth from a ten-story building
All wells are different in size, because in different regions of the country, groundwater ran at different depths.
But many of them are striking in their power: they can easily accommodate a modern ten-story building. Just imagine the full scale of construction: most of the baoli are over a thousand years old and were built by hand. There are hundreds of them all over India, and all of them were actively used. In the dry season, to reach the water, it was necessary to make a long way down, and during the monsoon rains, which rained for weeks, the wells turned into cisterns, filling with water almost to the brim.
Baoli were built for a long time, they were popular in the Islamic period. However, the Muslims had a completely different architecture: if the Hindus decorated the walls with various sculptures, then the Muslim builders were forbidden.
A breeding ground for infections
By the 19th century, step wells were almost everywhere. Some of them were huge and served entire cities, while wealthier citizens had private wells. Baoli were also popular along trade routes: travelers could leave animals at the top, and go down to the water themselves. Over time, some of them were turned into temples, where they not only took water, but also performed ritual bathing and read prayers.
However, during the British period, the baoli were abandoned in India, as these places were considered carriers of infections and bacteria. Well, later, when plumbing equipment appeared, the need for them disappeared altogether. Some of the baudies fell asleep, some were simply turned into a dump and a toilet. But still, there is water in many today, and in the rainy season it becomes more, but it is very dirty, swimming, of course, is dangerous here. And stagnant water isn't the only problem with step wells: they've become a haven for insects, bats, and rats.
Complete oblivion and attempts to restore the baoli
However, some of the baoli still work today, but not for their intended purpose. They turned into a kind of temples, where they conduct various rituals, ablutions, pilgrims descend to the water. A prime example is the Chand Baori well in Abaneri, one of the largest wells in India.
Tourists can also go down to the water, however, some structures are so huge that going down and then climbing up will require a lot of strength and good physical fitness. But all the same, it is worth doing it once: after all, only from the inside do you understand the full power of these structures, where strong surprise very quickly gives way to disorientation in space.
However, there is a possibility that some of the wells will be reanimated in the future: in India, problems with clean water have not gone away. The water crisis has already forced local authorities to think about buying out these underground structures, and some of them may be used today for storing water. Of course, they must first be thoroughly cleaned.
Daria Lukyanova
