Heritage Without Borders: stepwells and the rain

In western India, where rain falls in a few months and the rest of the year is dry, communities built stepwells: stepped structures that reach down to the groundwater and rise and fall with it. Their purpose was practical, to store and reach water, but many are also elaborately decorated, and some had a ritual role as well.

The most famous is Rani ki Vav, in Patan in Gujarat, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. It was built in the 11th century and is known for the carved panels that line its walls, many of them showing deities and figures. In the rainy months, the water table rises, and a visit gives a feeling of how the structure works with the seasons.

Practical advice: visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat, and keep to the paths and steps. Do not climb on the carvings. The monsoon can make steps slippery, so wear shoes with grip. Other well-known stepwells, such as Adalaj near Ahmedabad and Chand Baori in Rajasthan, are also worth visiting, and each tells a different story of life in a dry land.