Page 41 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue

and carvings. Throughout the centuries up except the top. After independence
due to this patronage a distinct style of Rani Ki Vav came into the custody of the
architecture developed early in the state. Archaeological Survey of India and was
Among the 100s of small and large temples declared a protected monument of national
of Gujarat, those built by the Solankis, (also importance.
known as Chaulukyas) are more prominent
than others.
The first king of the Solankis Mula Raja
(942 to 997 AD.) defeated the Chavdas and
founded his Kingdom in uphill Pataka, the
modern day city of Patan in North Gujarat.
Mula Raja’s descendants Samundra Raja,
Dularva Raja, Bheemdeva 1, Karnadeva,
Siddh Raja Jayasimha and Kumar Pala The Archaeological Survey of India
built many temples and excavated large started excavations here in 1958. The
reservoirs. Almost all major towns have painstaking efforts of ASI exposed the
their own step wells. The smaller wells are hidden treasures of structural, cultural
called VAVDI. The monuments were built and architectural wealth in its original
over various centuries and not specific dimension and splendour through careful
to any religious or ethnic groups. Hindu, excavation, desilting and removal of
Muslim and even Jain rulers, all patronised debris. The loose sculptures, architectural
these construction activities for their members and stones fallen in the wall were
communities. lifted out carefully and set right in their
Architecture and stone carving developed position. Some supports were added and
greatly in Gujarat from early times. The reconstruction done to match the original.
most famous among them is the temple Befitting its name the Rani Ki Vav is now
at Modhera built by Bheemdeva I. Other considered to be the queen among the
important architectural monuments stepwells of India.
include Rani Ki Vav, Sahstraling, (meaning
thousand lingas) reservoir at Patan. Rudra
Mahalay at Siddhpur and the Shiva temple
at Somnath on the western shore. Apart
from these, the Solankis also built many
monuments but only few of them have
survived.

RANI KI VAV
Until 1960 nobody knew that here existed
the most ornate and highly carved Vav.
This stepwell was buried for centuries This magnificent step well is said to
and suffered damage in the past due to have been constructed by Rani Udaymati
negligence and flood in the river Saraswati. the queen of Bheemdeva Solanki 1, in his
At the time, this well was completely filled memory, in the last quarter of 11th century

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #46 | APRIL 2023 41