Rani Ka vav, also known as Queen’s step well, is one of India’s most mysterious temples, located on the banks of the Saraswati river in Patan, Gujarat. This blog will provide information about Rani Ka Vav.

Location: Patan, Gujarat, India

Timings: 8 am to 6 pm (Every day)

Festivals: A festival called Rani ki Vav takes place in December or January, where participants can take in cultural performances, tasty local cuisine, and street shopping also available.

Introduction and most attractive thing for tourists at the Mysterious temple in India rani ka vav

Rani Ka Vav, also known as Queen’s Step Well, is located on the bank of the Saraswati River in the Gujarat town of Patan. 

Rani Udayamati built rani ki Vav in memory of her husband, Bhimdev I (1022 – 1063 AD) of the Solanki dynasty.

After her husband’s passing, Udayamati and Karandev I likely finished the construction, which had begun around 1050 AD.

According to archaeologists and locals, it is a well-built step for locals to draw water from this well because the area receives few waterfalls.

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This temple is an inverted, opposing temple. Why? Because all Hindu temples start at ground level and have steps going up to increase their height gradually, the tower area begins with a large base and then ends with a pointed end at the top.

But Rani ki Vav is designed precisely the opposite way. It starts at the ground level, slowly decreases its altitude, and gradually goes down, and at this area, it begins with a larger top but ends with a pointed end at the very bottom.

It was constructed precisely in an inverted position, and no other temple has ever been built like this, not only in India but in the whole world. The lavender-colored 100 Rupees Indian currency notes feature Rani ki Vav

Possibly one of the few cases in which a Queen constructed a memorial in honor of her King. A gate is assumed to introduce a secret tunnel located beneath the step-well’s final step and extends to the town of Sidhpur.

How to reach the mysterious temple in India Rani ki vav,

1. BY AIR: At 125 km from the city, Ahmedabad has the closest airport to Patan. Numerous flights go to and from this location, connecting the city with different regions inside and outside Gujarat.
2. BY TRAIN: The Indian Railways network’s Western Railway passes through Patan. The number of trains provides good connections between the city and the rest of the nation. Getting from Ahmedabad to Patan on a daily express and local train is simple.
3. BY ROAD: A good road network connects Patan to the rest of the nation. A good system of state and national highways connects the city. Buses operated by the State Transport Corporation connect Patan with all of Gujarat’s major cities, towns, and rural states.

Entry fee details

• The nominal entry fee for Indians and SAARC citizens is INR 40 
• Tickets cost foreign visitors INR 600.
• You can buy your tickets from the ticket office at the entrance. 

HISTORY OF RANI KI VAV

The Chalukyas dynasty ruled during the construction of Rani ki Vav. It sits along the Saraswati River’s banks. To honor her late husband, Bhimdev I, Rani Udayamati of the Chaulukya Dynasty constructed the step-well in 1063.

Udayamati, the daughter of Naravaraha Khangara, is credited in composition from 1304 by the Jain monk Merutunga with building this step-well in Patan.

The step-well was commissioned in 1063 and finished 20 years later. Archaeologists Henry Cousens and James Burgess visited the site in the 1890s when it was entirely buried in silt, and only the shaft and a few pillars were visible.

In the 1980s, the Archeological Survey of India restored the step-well after it was rediscovered in the 1940s. Since 2014, the step-well has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Between 940 and 1244 CE, the Solanki Kings ruled over parts of the modern-day states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Their capital was in the historic Gujarati city of Patan, now known as Anahillavada or Anahillapura.

There were various historic buildings in and around Patan, including temples, forts, and step-wells.

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The Mysterious Temple Raani ka Vav contains more than 800 sculptures, the majority of which are based on Vishnu-avatar themes and are spread out over several levels of steps. Intriguing geometric patterns are also present. The step-well is made to look like an inverted temple.

It is believed that this unique step well was constructed to properly manage the water, as the area receives very few waterfalls.

The wide corridors surround carved stone walls with straight and lateral staircases. A 30-kilometer tunnel that leads to the town of Siddhpur near Patan also has a small gate below the step-well’s final step.

Before being blocked by stones and mud, it served as the King’s escape route when he built the step-well during a defeat.

Rani ki Vav originally had seven terraces or storeys. Only five remain today, but even they have undergone meticulous restoration by the ASI.

ARCHITECTURE IN RANI Ki VAV

Rani ki vav displays a mastery of sophisticated techniques and an excellent display of specifics and theories. Seven stories make up the well, each decorated with stunning sculptures.

In the more than 500 prominent sculptures and a few smaller ones, you can see a mixture of religious, mythological, and secular imagery.

Even after numerous floods, the step-wells 226 pillars are still standing. Similar sculptures can also be seen inside the Sun Temple in Modhera and the Vimalavasahi Temple in Mount Abu.

The top craftsmanship of the era is also on display, as well as the distinctive Maru-Gurjara architectural design. Approximately 64 m long, 20 m wide, and 27 m deep, this magnificent step well faces east.

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The deepest level, four, leads 23-meter-deep rectangular tank that is 9.5 meters (31 feet) by 9.4 meters (31 feet) in size (75 ft). The well has a shaft of 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and 30 meters (98 feet) deep, with the entrance in the east and the well’s location at the westernmost end.  

The step-well has seven stairs that depart to a deep, circular well. There are 212 pillars in the step-well.

Different Sculptures in Mysterious temple in India Rani Ki Vav

One of the step-wells most eye-catching features is the sculptures. Large and countless more miniature sculptures are decorating the corridors and the well. Each of the terraces had various sculptures.

There were mainly two types of sculptures, various deities, and the Apsaras.

Numerous Hindu deities, including Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, goddesses (Devi), Ganesha, Kubera, Lakulisha, Bhairava, Surya, Indra, and Hayagriva, are depicted in step-well’s sculptures. Additionally, there are pictures of Navagraha.

There are various sculptures of Apsara. There are monuments of celestial dancers in traditional dance positions and a statue of Nagkanya with long hair and a swan.

While a man tends to her feet, one sculpture of Apsara shows her either applying lipstick to her lips or chewing on a fragrant twig.

A sculpture depicting an Apsara fighting off a monkey pulling her by its leg is on the northern side of the pavilion’s third floor.

A naked woman with a snake around her neck is standing at her feet. One sculpture shows a young woman getting out of the bath with wet hair and a swan catching water droplets like pearls.

Some sculptures depict maternal love, such as a mother holding her child while guiding his attention to the moon, a mother lifting her child high so he can pick a mango from the tree, and a mother in a mango grove with children nearby.

Some have anklets, bangles, earrings, necklaces, and waist girdles. In one sculpture, a woman is seen combing her hair, adjusting her earrings, and looking in the mirror. Horse, elephant, and lion statues adorn basement pillars.

Patola designs in Rani ki Vav

Famous Patola handlooms are yet another reason to visit Rani Ki Vav in Patan. This is evident in the numerous patola designs carved into the pavilion’s niches.

Imagine how elegant these geometric patterns would be on patola sarees! They are simple but elegant.

Best time to Visit Rani Ki Vav

The step-well is situated In one of the most extreme weather conditions where the summer season is extremely hot and humid.

The best time to visit is between October and March; this is because, during these months, the temperature is a bit more convenient to travel.

Conclusion

Queen Udayamati’s vision of building the Mysterious temple in India Rani ka Vov is for people to remember her husband through this unique construction is like saluting her with a lot of pride.

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