Page 46 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue

THE NAVLAKHI VAV - BARODA Interestingly rainwater harvesting was
Another 15th century step well exists in
the heart of Baroda (now Vadodara.) It is
believed that nine lakh gold coins were
spent on the construction of this stunning
structure, hence the name Navlakhi. It
was built to supply water to the city, later
used for the construction of Laxmi Vilas
Palace and now the water from this is used
to irrigate the Gaekwad Baroda Golf Course
which is adjacent to it.
There is another stepwell at Sevasi, on the
outskirts of Vadodara city, but it is lying in
a neglected condition.
HELICAL STEPWELL – CHAMPANER
(NEAR VADODARA)
This one is made in the 16th century. It has
a spiral stairway going down, made of rock,
while the walls are made of bricks. It is
unique because of its circular structure.
DADA HARIR NI VAV - ASARVA
It is an octagon shaped step well, also in
the vicinity of Ahmedabad’s Asarva area.
It was built over 500 years ago during the
time of Sultan Mahmud Begda. This seven
story structure has beautifully carved
intricate designs with a combination of
Hindu and Muslim architecture and motifs
and inscriptions from Arabic and Sanskrit
scriptures. It was built by Bai Harir Sultani,
a lady from Begda’s household.
More step wells from the Solanki
(Chaulukya) Period. Most of them are
however credited to Rani Minaldevi, the
mother of Raja Jayasimha Siddharaja
Solanki, and built in the 3rd quarter of the
11th century A.D.
MATA BHAWANI’S STEP WELL –
AHMEDABAD
ANKOL MATA STEP WELL – DAVAD
MINALDEVI VAV - VIRPUR
46
done at a domestic level in Gujarat.
In earlier times every individual home had
its own underground water reservoir under
the living area called TANKO. Now that
there is drinking water available around
the year provided by the local corporations
all year round, this practice of keeping such
a provision is vanishing. In fact the older
houses which still have a chamber have
been filled up after suffering damages due
to earthquakes in the recent past.
The cross section of these houses was
somewhat like this. The collected rainwater
also kept the living area cool during the
daytime heat. It kept the house cool, as in
those days people slept on the floor in the
chowk of the living area. There was an
opening covered with a flat stone through
which the water could be drawn much like
drawing water from a well with a bucket,
as there were no motors for the purpose.
This was common practice. Cloth was tied
at the mouth of the collection pipe and
entrance to the tank to remove any physical
impurities. This opening was also used to
clean the tank periodically before the onset
of monsoon.