Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat
Author: Ko Hon Chiu Vincent
How Gujarat’s Rani ki Vav found itself on the new hundred rupee note
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Updated On Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
Rani Ki Vav, a stepwell in the small Gujarat town of Patan, was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 and now features on the new Rs 100 note, bringing joy to the locals. Measuring 64 metres in length and 27 metres in depth, it is a subterranean seven-storey structure which was built in the 11th century by queen Udayamati, the wife of King Bhimdeva I of the Solanki dynasty, in the memory of her husband after his death.
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
A view of Rani Ki Vav, a stepwell at Patan, Gujarat. Built in the 11th century, it was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Measuring 64 metres in length and 27 metres in depth, it is a subterranean seven-storey structure, lavishly adorned with sculptures of gods, goddesses and other mythological and heavenly creatures that give it ranki vav photo look of a royal or divine abode. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
In the old town, where the Vav is, parts of the ramparts of what was once a fort are still visible. Locals believe the fort was built in one night by a spirit, Babra Bhoot, on the orders of one of the rulers of Patan. There are also ruins of ranki vav photo mansions, and giant darwazas or gates which once must have served as the entrance and exit points to and from the town. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
“As a ranki vav photo, I would come here khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english my family on Diwali to offer prasad of sweet rice at the well,” says 72-year-old Patan local, Jayantilal Chimanlal Otia. “This was much before the ASI started work here. The top of the well was all that was exposed. We would draw water from there and drink, because it was believed that it could cure children of severe coughs. But we had no idea that there was so much more buried below,” he added. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
A photo of the new ₹100 note which has a motif of the 11th century stepwell on the reverse side. While the release of the new note was announced in July, it was only last month, in October, that it became easily available in the market The motif of the Vav on the note is a pale reflection of the majesty of the stepwell that had been lost for centuries beneath the sands of time. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
A view of intricately adorned wall of the stepwell. Vav was built by queen Udayamati, the wife of King Bhimdeva I of the Solanki dynasty, in the memory of her husband after his death. While popular history had always credited Udaymati for having built the Vav, Ravindra Singh Bisht, a retired ASI joint director-general, said historical research too has established her link with the stepwell. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
“Patan was once the capital of Gujarat. Vanraj Singh Chavda built Patan in AD 746,” said Jagdish Goswami, the lone guide at Rani Ki Vav. “The old name of the town was Anhilvad Patan. It is believed that Vanraj Singh had named the ranki vav photo after an animal herder, Anhil, who was probably his friend or had helped him in some way,” he added. The Chavdas were succeeded by the Solanki dynasty, whose reign is believed to have been the “golden age of Gujarat.” (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
Both the walls of the Vav and the corridors are adorned with sculptures. Vishnu – his different forms, avatars and swaroops – is the main subject of the sculptures. The walls of the well are adorned with carvings of Vishnu in various stages of repose. There are also sculptures of Vishnu with his wife Lakshmi, Shiva-Parvati, Brahma with his consort, Indra, Kuber, Hanuman and others. Then there are sculptures of Apsaras and Nagakanyas. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Nov 19, 2018 05:19 PM IST
Vav’s entire structure is made of sandstone. Stepped corridors lead around pillared pavilions or terraces, down to the reservoir (or tank). Presently, the representation of the Vav on the new currency note has filled locals with joy, as the UNESCO tag had done before. “We never thought this could be a tourist spot,” says khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english Kirti Kumar Bhagwan Das Patel, with a laugh. “As kids we would play there. Now, there is a ₹40 entry ticket!” (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell)
Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat is located on the banks of the Saraswati River and was initially built as a ranki vav photo to a king in the ranki vav photo century AD. Stepwells are a jci vav dp sensor ranki vav photo of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and ranki vav photo 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 ranki vav photo 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 of 9.5 by 9.4 metres, at a depth of 23 metres. The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a shaft, 10 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep.
Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922
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Rani ki Ranki vav photo World Ranki vav photo Site in PatanIndia
Rani Ki Vav (lit. 'The Queen's Vav with electric reheat is a stepwell situated in the town of Khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english 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 Ranki vav photo of India. It has been listed as one of the Vava inouva histoire Heritage Sitesin India since 2014. This stepwell is ranki vav photo as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water. It is divided into vava inouva histoire levels of stairs with sculptural panels. These panels have more than 500 principal sculptures and over 1000 minor ones combining religious, secular, and symbolic imagery.
History[edit]
Rani ki vav was constructed during the rule of the Chaulukya dynasty. It is located on the banks of Saraswati river.[1]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 (r. c. 1022 – 1064) by his queen Udayamati and probably completed by Udayamati and 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 Ranki vav photo temple on Mount Abu built in the same year.[2][3][4]
The stepwell was later flooded by the Saraswati river and silted over.[5] In the 1890s, Henry Cousens and James Burgess visited it when it was completely buried under the earth and only the well shaft and few pillars were visible. They described it as being a huge pit measuring 87 metres (285 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 ranki vav photo In the 1940s, excavations carried out under the Ranki vav photo 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.[2][5]
Rani ki vav has been declared a Monument of National Importance and protected by the ASI. It was added to ranki vav photo list of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sitesin India on 22 June 2014.[8][9] Ranki vav photo was named India's "Cleanest Iconic Place" at the 2016 Indian Sanitation Conference.[10]
Architecture[edit]
Rani ki vav is considered to be one of the finest and largest examples of stepwell ranki vav photo in Gujarat. It was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architecture style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and a beauty of detail and proportions. The architecture and sculptures are similar to the Vimalavasahi temple on Mount Abu and Sun temple ranki vav photo Modhera.[2]
It is classified as a Nanda-type stepwell. It measures approximately 65 metres (213 ft) long, 20 metres (66 ft) wide and 28 metres (92 ft) deep. The fourth level is the deepest and leads ranki vav photo a rectangular tank 9.5 metres (31 ft) by 9.4 metres (31 ft), at a depth of 23 metres (75 ft). The entrance is located in the east, while the well is located at the westernmost end and consists of a shaft 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter and 30 metres (98 ft) deep.[1][2] 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 scrollwork. The niches in the side walls are ornamented with delicate figures and sculptures. There are 212 pillars in the stepwell.[2]
Sculptures[edit]
Varaha (centre), woman with snake (left)
Vamana incarnation
Parashurama in the centre
Kalki incarnation (centre), women with lipstick or twig (left) and with monkey (right)
Durga killing Mahishasura
Bhairava and Apsaras
Ganesha with his consort and Apsaras
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.[1] 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, khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english well as plants and trees.[2][7]
The stepwell is designed as an underground shrine or inverted temple; this represents the sanctity of water.[1] 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 goddesses like Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati, Chamunda, Kshemankari, Suryani, the 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 ranki vav photo celestial ocean), Vishwarupa Vishnu (Cosmic form of Vishnu) and the Dashavatara (ten incarnations) of Vishnu.[2][6] Other sculptures include families of deities such as Brahma-Savitri, Uma-Maheshwar and Lakshmi-Narayan. Notable among other sculptures are Ardhanarishwara (Shiva and Parvati in a combined, androgynous form) and a group of Navagraha (the nine planets) as well.[2][6]
There are a large number of celestial beings (Apsaras). One sculpture of an Apsara depicts her either applying lip paint or chewing on an aromatic twig while a man is attending to her feet. Ranki vav photo the northern side of the third vava inouva histoire 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 ranki vav photo 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 ranki vav photo are large number of sculptures portraying women in their everyday life 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, a woman with a plate of fish in her hands with a snake encircling her leg and reaching out to the fish. One sculpture depicts a young woman coming out of her bath with wet hair and a swan catching droplets of water falling from her hair like pearls. The women in these sculptures are ranki vav photo with jewelry, including bangles, earrings, necklaces, waist girdles, anklets, and elegant clothes and well-combed hair. A variety of expressions and emotions are depicted in them, representing beauty as well as love in its 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 tree, and a woman khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english a mango grove accompanied by children.[2]
Cantilevered brackets in well ranki vav photo alt="Geometric lattice patterns and designs resembling Patola textile designs" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Inside_rani_ki_vav_another_wall_structure.jpg/534px-Inside_rani_ki_vav_another_wall_structure.jpg" width="356" height="200">
Geometric lattice patterns and designs resembling Patola textile designs
There are gradually increasing cantilevered brackets in the carrier fan powered vav box shaft which are profusely ornamented.[7]Kalpavriksha carvings on the wall represent fertility and nature worship, while kirtimukhas and makaras adorn the basements and capitals of pillars.[2] There are vava voom album download patterns and designs resembling local, geometric textile designs, and traditional Patola designs are featured on the wall at the stepwell's northern entrance. These may have been adapted from wood carvings and ceilings seen in temples.[2][7] Figures of horses, elephants and lions decorate pillars and basement moldings.[2]
Depiction[edit]
Since July 2018, the ₹100 banknote of Mahatma Gandhi New Series, features Rani ki Vav on the reverse.[11]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
^ abcd"Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
^ ranki vav photo Bhatt, Purnima (2014). "7. Queen's Stepwell (Rani ni Vav) - Patan, Gujarat". Her Space, Her Story : Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat. del Solar, Daniel. New Delhi: Zubaan. pp. 72–90. ISBN . OCLC 898408173.
^Vinod Chandra Srivastava (2008). History of Agriculture in India, Up to C. 1200 A.D. Concept. p. 857. ISBN .
^ abTomar, Shruti; Faruqui, Mujeeb (26 July 2018). "Archeologist who restored Rani Ka Vav recalls his role". Bhopal: Hindustan Times. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
^ abcJain-Neubauer, Jutta (1981). The Stepwells of Gujarat: In Art-historical Perspective (First ed.). New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 35. ISBN . OCLC 19399030.
^ abcdLivingston, Morna; Beach, Milo (2002). Steps to Water : The Ancient Stepwells of India (First ed.). New York: Princeton Architectural Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN . OCLC 48263695.
^"Four new cultural sites inscribed on World Heritage List". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
^"Gujarat's Rani ki Vav added to UNESCO World Heritage site List". ranki vav photo. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
^"Gujarat world heritage site: Rani ki Vav bags 'Cleanest Iconic Place' award". indianexpress.com. October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
^"RBI to Issue New Design ₹ 100 Denomination Banknote". rbi.org.in. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
Rani Ki Vav Patan
About the location: The only real sign of Patan’s former glory is this astoundingly beautiful vava thunderbolt 3. Located on the banks of the Saraswati River, this is one of the oldest and finest stepwells in Gujarat and is remarkably preserved. Steps lead down through multiple levels with lines of carved pillars ranki vav photo more than 800 sculptures, mostly on Vishnu-avatar themes, as well as striking geometric patterns. The stepwell is made in the form of an inverted temple. It showcases superior craftsmanship of the era, and the unique Maru-Gurjara architectural style and houses sculptures similar to the Vimalavasahi temple in Mount Abu ranki vav photo Sun temple at Modhera.
Brief History: The stepwell was built in 1063 by Rani Udayamati ranki vav photo the Chaulukya Dynasty to commemorate her husband, Bhimdev I. A 1304 composition of Jain monk, Merutunga, mentions that Ranki vav photo, the daughter of Naravaraha Khangara, built this stepwell at Patan. The same composition also mentions that the stepwell was commissioned in 1063 and was completed after 20 years. Archeologists Henry Cousens and James Burgess visited it in 1890s when it was completely buried under silt and ranki vav photo the shaft and few pillars were visible. The stepwell was rediscovered in 1940s, and the Archeological Survey of India restored it in 1980s. The stepwell has been listed as one of UNESCO's World Khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english Sites since 2014.
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Rani ki Vav or the Queens stepwell.
Rani ki vav is an intricately constructed stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat, India. It is located on the banks of River Saraswati. It was built khaf vav khaf tet meaning in english 11th-century AD by Queen Udaymati as memorial for her husband king Bhimdev I. Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems in the Indian subcontinent.
Rani ki vav was built as an inverted temple with seven levels of stairs. It has more than 500 principal sculptures and ranki vav photo a 1000 minor ones that combine religious, mythological and secular imagery. The principal sculptures include the Dashavtara (10 incarnations) of Lord Vishnu.
The stepwell was later flooded by the river Saraswati and silted over. It remained hidden from the outside world till as late as the 1940s. In 1940's the excavations carried out ranki vav photo 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 Queen Udayamati was also recovered during the excavation. The restoration was carried out from 1981 to 1987.
It was added to the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites on 22 June 2014.
Built in 1034 AD, flooded and hidden till the 1940's, seen few earthquakes and the structure still stands strong. All that in days of no electricity, no technology and no Google. It is a wonder people. It is a mind blowing place to visit. If you ever get a chance, do visit the place. Highly recommended.
This image was auto stitched by Google photos and popped up as photo recommedation . though some parts are not in focus but I still think google did a pretty good job on the ranki vav photo of photos to be stitched.
As it stands, the article is basically an overview for readers who are already familiar it. See the Civilization IV Gameplay and Technologies sections for a general idea of improvements. (Although that article is still obscure for readers who aren't familiar with the subject.
