Know Your City | Bringing alive the languishing stepwells of Vadodara

Sen wove a communicative astir the rudimentary architecture, which has a unsocial facet successful the signifier of the banyan histrion canopy. Artists performed connected the uppermost level of the vav, utilizing multimedia, lighting, music, and creation to bring the communicative of the stepwell to beingness successful the archetypal person. Asoj is portion of her bid of implicit a twelve performances astatine stepwells crossed Gujarat. In Vadodara, Sen has organised ocular shows for stepwells successful Navlakhi, Sevasi, Koyali, Hanumant Vav successful Bhayli, and Asoj, on with the Adalaj stepwell successful Ahmedabad.

Sen decided to animate the vavs done her stories arsenic an hold of the task titled Soul of the Vav, portion of the Bengaluru-based Centre for Internet and Society’s Maps for Change initiative. She explains, “As I grew up successful Delhi, architecture was portion of my canvas arsenic an artist. I was drawn to the quality of stepwells and decided to undertake mapping… But it turned into a task wherever I present personify the stepwells done stories to make consciousness astir the magnificent architecture built centuries agone that is facing neglect. These are the lone architectures that are beneath the ground. We person implicit 60 stepwells successful Vadodara, but astir of them are mislaid and bash not person the aforesaid designation arsenic Rani ki Vav successful Patan.”

Unique L-shaped design

In Vadodara, Sen has chronicled the magnificent 600-year-old Navlakhi Vav and the Vidyadhar Vav successful Sevasi, which stay among the better-known spots. She notes that the Navlakhi Vav, the main root of h2o during the operation of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace, continues to proviso h2o to the play people built connected the palace estate.

Sen says, “Navlakhi is the lone remnant of Gurjar rule. It is located successful the Lukshmi Vilas Palace compound and is much than 600 years old. The inscription successful the vav mentions Zafar Khan arsenic the politician of the state of Gujarat. He assumed his regal title, Muzaffar Shah, successful 1407-08. A book, Baroda Nagri nary Prachin Itihas, states that connected 1 of the little floors of the vav is simply a Brahmi inscription saying Suryaraj Kalchuri, a wide of the Gurjar kingdom, built the stepwell erstwhile the metropolis was known arsenic Vatpadra. It’s said that the Vav was called Navlakhi due to the fact that 9 lakh golden coins were spent to physique it. It was refurbished successful the clip of Muzaffar Shah…”

Facing neglect and abandonment for centuries, similar astir different stepwells, the Asoj Vav came live connected November 23 done a storytelling show by Vadodara-based ocular creator Kakoli Sen, who has been advocating the restoration of stepwells crossed Gujarat. (Photo from Sen’s 2019 show) 

Sen adds that the Navlakhi stepwell is built connected an L-shaped program and features 4 pavilion towers and arsenic galore intermediate supporting frameworks, which is rather unique. “These are not lone two-dimensional frames but three-dimensional networks of vertical and horizontal chromatic beams. The entranceway staircase is acceptable astatine close angles to the stepped corner. The close space is covered with a level and frankincense continues into an further pavilion, crowned by a tiny canopy successful the middle…”

The level of the pavilion is supported by 8 pilasters and 8 pillars. This pavilion, located 1 storey underground, is besides accessed by a constrictive stairway connected the occidental side. “The pillars and pilasters are of 2 types: 1 much elemental and plain, akin to that successful the stepwell of Sevasi, portion the others are precise ornate, resembling vases with emerging scrolls. The entablature successful the pavilions and frameworks bears designs of hanging leaves and scroll patterns connected their horizontal beams,” she explains.

The ceiling ornamentation wrong the archetypal mandapa consists of rows of fractional medallions adorned with angiosperm petals, garlands, and leafage patterns. The ceiling is embellished similar a immense angiosperm saucer. An inscription successful Persian mentions 1405 arsenic the twelvemonth of completion of the Navlakhi stepwell.

Rich successful section legends

The Vidyadhar Vav is situated successful Sevasi village, astir 6 km from Vadodara city. Laid retired to the eastbound with its entranceway facing west, the stepwell features 5 pavilion towers and 5 intermediate supporting frameworks. A circular parapet partition of astir fractional a metre precocious surrounds the stepped corridor and the well. The pavilion towers are supported by 4 pilasters and 4 pillars. The lintels of the pavilion towers are either decorated with rows of elongated leafage patterns oregon flowers, interspersed with carved garlands. The entablatures of the pillars bordering the mediate pathway of kuta—a tower-like pavilion operation successful a stepwell—are beautifully carved with sculptures depicting a equine led by its rider. The horses are adorned with bands, tassels, and ornaments, with 1 raised limb resting connected a wave, a communal motif successful stonework. Some panels picture geese with scrolls hanging from their beaks and elephants.

Popularly known arsenic the Asoj Vav (stepwell), it was a lifeline for section residents, who judge that Rabari Aso—from a radical of banjaras (wanderers)—constructed the good implicit 500 years ago.

“A chromatic masonry astatine the entranceway features a sanction inscribed successful Devanagari script. The gross is adorned with 2 tigers carved connected the near and 2 elephants connected the right. Stepwells were utilized to store rainwater and became sources of legends. Locals accidental that young girls decked successful golden were sacrificed astatine the Sevasi stepwell connected full-moon nights for prosperity,” Sen says.

For Sen, documenting the stepwells has presented its ain challenges. “People surviving astir stepwells contiguous are often unaware of their stories. In galore places, locals discourage maine from undertaking projects to revive the stepwells, arsenic the ruins person go dens for anti-social elements… But these are ornate underground structures that person stories to tell. I judge that though we person modernised h2o supply, the stepwells proceed to clasp relevance for regenerating groundwater and indispensable beryllium restored to their erstwhile glory.”