Well Rani-ki-vav (Rani Ki Vav) -The Queen's Steps-an Indian architectural miracle
Rani-ki-vav (Rani Ki Vav) - one of the most famous wells in India. It was built in the 11th century in the city of Patan (Gujarat State) on the bank of the Saraswati River by the order of Queen Udayamati in memory of her deceased husband. With the passage of time, the well sank, archaeologists were able to completely restore it only in the late 1980s, surprisingly discovering that the architectural masterpiece was preserved intact.
The first wells appeared in India in the 3rd century BC, the reason for their spread is the arid climate. Initially, they tore a primitive pit in the sandy soil, where underground water accumulated, later they began to transform the reservoirs into real historical monuments. Rani-ki-wah was built at a time when the skill of Indian architects reached its apogee. The style of creating multistage stepped wells was called Maru-Gurjara.
The name Rani-ki-wav in translation means "Steps of the Queen". The design is in the form of an inverted cone, the ladder is conditionally divided into seven parts, each of which is decorated with sculptures. In total, there are more than 500 large and 1000 small sculptures. The water reservoir is located at a depth of 23 meters.
Under the last step, descending to the water, there is a tunnel, the length of which is 30 km. It leads to the city of Siddhpur, located in the neighborhood of Patan. This secret passage was built to evacuate the ruler in the event of war, now the passage is barricaded with stones.
In the 13th century, as a result of a strong earthquake, the Saraswati River ceased to exist, and the well remained for seven centuries under the rubble. Archaeologists have found Rani-ki-wav less than 30 years ago, on June 22, 2014, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Source: http://www.kulturologia.ru
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