Page 42 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue
P. 42
A.D. It is situated on the left bank of the portray the mastery of the Solanki cutters
river Sarasvati, two kms. North- west of in depicting rhythm, vigour, beauty and
Patan. Patan was the capital of Gujarat various moods in stone. The shaft of the
for over 600 years between 8th and 14th well is highly ornamented with intricate
centuries under the reign of Solanki carvings and large vertical brackets in pairs
rulers Bheemdeva, his son Karan Deva which support the different galleries of the
and grandson Siddha Raja. At the time, well. Being a water edifice representation
Gujarat attained its greatest splendour of Sheshsayi Vishnu in the shaft of a well at
and prosperity which is apparent from various levels is unique.
structural remains of temples, wells and The Vav measuring about 64 m long and
tanks. 20 m wide and 27 m deep is laid out in
Rani Ki Vav is just beside the ancient the east-west direction. It must have been
fortification wall of the old city and not one of the largest and the most admired
far from the embankment of Sahastraling structures of its kind at that time and still
talaav which was excavated much later, is. It is featured on our Indian currency
under the command of Siddhraj Jayasimha note of Rs. 100/-
of 11th and 12th century. Which was
another huge water tank to store surplus
water. Unfortunately nothing much of the
original remains now.
The architectural brilliance and elegance of
the Vav is represented in its pristine glory
in the ornamental work of the beautifully
proportioned sculptures of gracefully
curved Mahisasurmadini, Parvati and
other Shaiva sculptures. The Dashavatars
Rani Ki Vav is built up of bricks faced of Vishnu such as Varah, Vamana, Rama,
with stones. It has stepped corridors at Buddha and Kalki, Bhairava, Ganesha,
the ground level and leading down to the Surya, Kubera, Lakshmi-Narayan, Ashta-
kund. The main components of this well dikpalas, Apsaras, Nagkanayas, Yogini
are the entrance, the side walls of the step etc. which adorn the walls. The female
corridors, mandapas or multi-storeyed figures have been depicted
pillared pavilions and the back walls of the in various poses with
well. Each storey has its roof supported extreme beauty and grace.
on pillars with a square base decorated The carvings and their
with ghat pallav motives and quadruple subjects are very much
brackets at the top having four armed similar to the work at
kichakas. Modhera and other places,
The walls flanking the staircase and as they were patronized by
sculptures within the walls of the well the same family and built
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