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BAOLI
SHIVANI KULSHRESTHA

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

DATE: 4 NOVEMBER 2017

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ABSTRACT

“STEPWELLS ARE SPECTACULAR EDIFICES LIKE SKYSCRAPER SUNK

INTO THE EARTH”

- VICTORIA LAUTMAN

Baoli-a monument of life, served the community for

hundreds of years as a water reservoir, it was the place

where people gathered to escape the hot afternoon. They

incorporate decreasing stairs that convey sense of

passage deep into the earth. Some were also designed to

shelter the travelers, However, what was the pride

of ancient India are now the forgotten part of cities’

sprawl, and is now in immediate need of revival and

restoration. It seems to be so ironical, Men dug earth to

reach the water and now we steer the course of river to

force water to reach us

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INTRODUCTION

Bawdi in Rajasthan, Vaan in

Gujrat, Kalyani or Pushkani in

Kannada; all are the various

names for stepwells of India.

Unknown to many, Baolis are

spectacular structure excavated

several stories underground to reach the level at which the soil or

rock is always saturated with water, rainwater also helped to

maintain the water level in baoli. However, unfortunately today,

most of the Baolis have dried out.

BACKGROUND

Baolis first appeared in India between 8th century AD in Pre-

Solanki dynasty. The structure was first used as an art form by

Hindus, and later were popularized by the Muslim rulers. The

baolis lost their prominence during the 19th century as the British

colonizers felt that they were unhygienic source of water and

plumbing system was promoted.

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PURPOSE

In the vast arid region of Rajasthan and

Gujrat and some region of northern plains,

the problem of shortage of water has always

been profound, however these regions

experience torrential seasonal monsoon but as the soil cannot hold it

water disappears immediately. Thus, need to reserve water lead to the

construction of Baolis. Mainly designed for the purpose of storing water,

Baolis’ location suggest the way they were used; when located within the

village or town they served as a space for social gathering and

panchayats and other forms of recreation. Some had performing

platform and pavilion for viewers; Moreover, when situated on the

outskirts they were used as shelters by the travelers and banjaras.

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ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

The architectural form

of Baoli consist of

three elements, the

well which forms the

main source of water,

the flight of steps to

reach the water level and

intermediate pavilions.
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Those baolis which were made especially on the trade routes had rooms

on the upper tier with colonnaded verandah known as dhala.

Baolis were constructed by the

Hindu as well as by the Muslim

ruler. However, if one considers the

architecture of both the styles it

varies tremendously from 12th

century to 16th century.

The major feature of the Baoli

constructed during the Hindu rulers

embodied outstanding and intricate

carving, Many functioned as bona-fide

subterranean temples, replete with carved

images of the male and female deities on

the columns and friezes to whom the

stepwells were dedicated. These

sculptures formed a spiritual backdrop for

ritual bathing, prayers and offerings that

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played an important role in many Hindu stepwells and despite a lack of accessible

ground water, the structure was constructed in trabated style. On the other

hand, if one talk about the Islamic style baolis they were far more sedate,

lined with arches and arched niches. Many of them are flanked by domed

turrets

When one think about the baoli several

questions arise in our mind. Who made

them; where did they make it; how did

they construct it. Villagers themselves

were the architects and civil engineers

who created these Baolis, known by

various names like gajdhar or seelawat.

Location where vegetation was found in the hardcore desert was selected as

the site for the construction of baoli and they were oriented towards north
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In both Hindu and Islamic architectural

style, they were made using either dressed

stone masonry or random rubble

masonry. Sometimes, specific minerals

were found in the ground water of baoli,

for instance, The Gandhak Ki Baoli which

got its name from the mineral

Sulphur(gandhak) which enriched its water and was known to have a

heeling effect. Baolis also placed a crucial role in maintaining the

microclimate of the surrounding. Using the passive cooling technique of

Evaporative Cooling And thus, temperature of that zone was lesser.

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“ The traditional society combined the engineering with Aesthetics.”

-ANUPAN MISHRA

They used small statues of animals like

elephant or horses at different levels which

gave an idea of water table and duration of

time for which the water is available. During

rainfall these statues were submerged

in water, say if elephant was drowned than

water collected in the baoli was for next

seven months.
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In Rajasthan, a single ,stone pillar was

errected just before one climbed the steps

of Baoli, this mnemonic reminded people

that they were entering into the water body

area and thus prohibited of spiting. This

was done to so that clean water could be

collected.

Baolis are personified to female

figure, since fetching of water was and

is the domain of women. Secular

sculptures in

Baolis included scenes of daily life, such

as erotic scenes, buttering churning,

fighting scenes, ordinary female figures,

secondly ornamented frieze, columns

with floral, geometrical and animal

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motifs and sculptures of goddess. However, Baolis constructed under

Muslim patronage didn’t have any prominent figurative ornamentation

in the niches.
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REFERENCE

1. AAJ BHI KHARE HAI TAALAB BOOK BY ANUPAM MISHRA

(published in 2005)
2. THE STEPWELLS OF GUJRAT BOOK BY JUTTA JAIN-NEUBAUER
(published in 1981)
3. www.britania.com
4. BAOLI OF DELHI BY ADITYA MEHETA
5. TED talk: TE ANCIENT INGENUITYOF WATER HARVESTING BY
ANUPAM MISHRA
6. www.netflix.com –Sanrachna episode 1
7. www.holidify.com
8. VIDEO ON STEPWELLS OF INDIA – www.wildfilmsindia.com
9. BLOG OM LOST BAOLI https://vikramjits.wordpress.com

PICTURES REFFERENCE

1. www.myglobalmaster.com
2. www.news.nationalgeographic.com
3. www.tedex.com
4. www.archdaily.com
5. www.rajasthanabout.com
6. www.123rf.com
7. Sketches by Vijayvala www.vijayshrimail.wordpress.com