ADALAJ STEPWELL (ADALAJ NI VAV) NEAR AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT

Adalaj Stepwell or Adalaj ni vav in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is a stunning example of Indo-Islamic fusion architecture work. It was built by the Hindu queen Rani Roopba with help from neighbouring Muslim ruler King Mehmud Begad. However, it's history is full of drama and Bollywood like twists and turns. Here is a brief account of the story and my visit to Adalaj ni vav.

Adalaj Stepwell history  or Adalaj ni vav history 

It was built in 1498 in the memory of Rana Veer Singh (the Vaghela dynasty of Dandai Des), by his wife Queen Rudadevi. It is a fine example of Indian architecture work. Stepwells or the stepped ponds were generally built in semi-arid regions of the country especially along trade routes. These architectural sites were often used to store monsoon rains and by several pilgrims and traders passing through the way as their resting place.

Making up an essential part of Ahmedabad’s history, Adalaj Step Well was commissioned by famous queen Rudabai the wife of Vaghela dynasty’s Rana Veer Singh in 1498. He was the ruler of a small kingdom denoted as Dandai Desh.According to legends the kingdom faced acute shortage of water and to resolve the same, the king Rana Veer Singh decided to build a big stepwell. Though the king started the construction work but could not complete it, as he died in a battle with the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada.

Mahmud Begada fell in love with queen Rudabai and wanted to marry her. However the queen agreed to the proposal provided Mahmud completed the construction of the stepwell. After the completion of the vav, queen Rudabai asked few saints to take bath in the water making it a holy well. She then fell into the vav and died.

As Mahmud Begada did not want any replica of the stepwell ordered the killing of the six masons involved in its construction whose tombs can be found near the stepwell. An inscription written in Sanskrit on a marble slab on the first floor indicates the history of this amazing architectural site.