Baolis; stepwells dating back to more than a thousand years ago not only served as integral water sources but also community cores of cultural and religious significance in ancient India. Women, in their role as custodians and generators of cultural, social, and ritual activities have shared a deeper association with sacred spaces; especially informal ones which are exempt from their exclusion. A safe haven for communities of women, Baolis have allowed for and facilitated an exchange of ideas and traditions, rendering them architectural spaces of generational knowledge. However, throughout the colonial era, followed by urbanisation their value went largely unnoticed and they crumbled into obscurity. The following article investigates, through a case study of the Rani Ki Vav; Queen’s Stepwell at Patan, how its architecture once provided a retreat in the public realm for women in India.
Introduction to Baolis in Pre-Colonial India
“We were a circle of women, each with our own burden, and yet we found solace in each other’s presence… It was here, in the quiet intimacy of our gathering, that the burdens of the world felt lighter.”
– Ladies Coupe (2001), Anita Nair.
Stepwells/Baolis/Vavs or simply stepped water structures have functionally served not only in agriculture but also for drinking, bathing, washing, etc. Dating back to baths in the Harappan civilisation in 2300 B.C. to the first stepwells at Dhank in 550 C.E. to the Queen’s stepwell in Patan in 1060 to Rudabai’s stepwell in Adalaj in the 15th century to the Baori at Baggar in the 19th century, India has a long-standing history with these architectural marvels; inverted structures of a descent into the earth.
Time in a stepwell is so slow, you forget that anything is urgent. (Livingston, 2002, 1) Historically and statistically, women; either Queens, other courtly ladies, or wealthy merchant’s wives, primarily commissioned Baolis. This was done as an act of social philanthropy or for religious ritualistic purposes and they often dedicated them to local Goddesses, marking from their beginning their distinct female connotations.
Analysing the Queen’s Stepwell in Patan, Gujarat
Context (Historical)
Rani ki vav, built by Queen Udayamati as a memorial for the 11th century AD King Bhimdev I, is an intricately constructed stone stepwell, in the Maru – Gujara style, at Patan, Gujarat, India. In a time when women, for the larger part, were provided with limited opportunities to step out of their domestic boundaries, due to gendered segregation of work, visiting the stepwell for procurement of water, washing, and cleaning, provided a socially acceptable occasion for them to enter the public realm. Thus, the act alone enabled a break away from routine and interactions majorly – free from the male gaze.
Feminine Physicality (Mass, Structure, Surface, Material)
The mass of the Queen’s stepwell is subtractive in nature and creates a large void in which it is nestled. Thus, the structure has a deeper association with the earth whose femininity; simply from connotations such as ‘Mother’ earth, Bharat ‘Mata’, is undeniable. An underground inverted shrine, the stepwell at its core houses a circular well of water; that is sacred in nature and has for long also been known to exude a feminine aura. The surface of the walls, columns, and even lintels are adorned with numerous sculptures of deities. Of these, several images of Devis are from a group of twelve Gauris, who are at the center of an all-important women cult.
Additionally, the monument is embellished with sculptures portraying the daily life and activities of women from an Apsarā adjusting her ear ornament to a nāgakanyā playing with a snake. These depictions – of religious and cultural significance – of the time, provided a familiar and thus hospitable environment for women, putting them at ease to spend more time here, engage in exchanging stories of their own, and seek companionship in each other. Further, the cooling effect of the sandstone adds additional comfort to the space.
Ephemeral Qualities (Space, Scale, Light, Movement)
Measuring more than sixty-five metres in length, the scale is monumental in its size, embellishments, and craftsmanship. A crater in the ground, a large hollow space enriched extensively with stepped corridors, terraced walls, buttresses and pavilions, torana arches, columns, and lintels, the Baoli consists of several elements coming together harmoniously to form a collage of spaces. This space, much like itself, allows the meeting of women from different religions, and backgrounds and creates opportunities for strong bonds and solidarity among them. The stepwell has high walls and columns, enclosing the space, giving it a respite from the outside world while offering the freedom of movement within itself.
Moreover, spatial zones of varying natures are created. The entrance pavilion and open courtyards are well-lit public spaces where brief, cordial exchanges could be had. The stepped corridors lined with a series of pillared pavilions served as a transitional zone. As one descends, they may pause and rest in the semi-enclosed pavilions and niches where softer light could enable quieter, more intimate conversations in smaller groups, away from the public scrutiny. The lower you go, the degree of privacy invariably increases with muted, indirect light facilitating the same. Ultimately, the area surrounding the water at the base of the stepwell, in its cool, shaded disposition coupled with the calming effect of water, provided a serene reflective space for the women.
Organisation (Datum, Grid, Order)
A circular well of water lies at the focus of the stepwell, acting as a datum. It is that reference point from which all elements of the built not only emerge from but are also drawn to. Thus, its feminine character is amplified as it lies at the very crux of the stepwell. The plan reflects a meticulously ordered grid of walls and columns. While the grid decreases in size at every level of descent, there are no prominent, dominant hierarchies at play.
Present Day Context
“Where there are endless women, endlessly coming together, endlessly sewing, endlessly talking about endless women, endlessly coming together.”
– The God of Small Things (1997), Arundhati Roy.
The functional nature of spaces for women in the public realm underwent major changes from the pre to post-colonial era in India. While earlier women needed a veil; carrying out household chores, to come together and those spaces then provided leisure and comfort and allowed them to seek companionship in each other, today, in the urban context, spaces just for leisure and social interactions exist.
However, in the public realm, the privacy, intimacy, and reflective solace provided by the Baolis has somewhat been lost. Now, almost all such spaces are mixed-use by both sexes equally. While there exist spaces exclusively for women, to exchange ideas and socialising these spaces are created by terming them so- Ladies’ cafes, ladies’ night at a club, etc. Thus, the unknowingly, the inadvertent coming together of primarily just women has been lost.
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- Lautman, V. (2017). The Vanishing Stepwells of India. Merrell Publishers Limited.
- Livingston, M. (2002). Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India. Princeton Architectural Press.
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