The Fascinating Architecture of Indian Stepwells

    All across India, surreal staircases like MC Escher paintings recede into the depths of the earth.

    When I first saw an image of a vanishing stepwell, I had no idea what I was looking at. It was a staircase out of a geometric dream, a vertical maze plunging downwards before disappearing into mirror-like water. It didn’t seem real. 

    Not only are Indian Stepwells real, but they were once both functional and ubiquitous, places for women to refill jugs that they would use to supply the day’s water for their families.

    In the absence of aqueducts, many Indian people relied on a central stepwell as their main water source. The stepwell was dug deep enough that it was below the water table, so the well would never run dry. The steep step-lined walls allow for overflow capacity in the case of heavy rains, preventing flooding. Instead, the water would rise to cover lower levels of stairs while remaining accessible, leading to the name "vanishing stepwells". Stepwells were built this way for thousands of years, the first ones dating to the 3rd century CE. (brittanica.com), though the most complex ones came from medieval times. (atlasobscura.com)

    One of the most fascinating things about stepwells to me is the beauty of their perfect geometry. Each step comes together to create undulating wave-like forms, a pattern that resembles the water that rises to meet them. Even the simplest wells capture the essence of “form follows function”, every angle crafted to serve the purpose of water gathering.

    The experience of descending into these stepwells has often been described as spiritual. This was intentional; due to the importance of water to the Hindu religion, more complex stepwells often served as areas for prayer and meditation. Temples and resting areas also acted as places to sit in the cool shade after the labor of gathering water. 

    Interestingly, construction of these step wells was often overseen by a woman, specifically the wife of the local maharajah. There is a strong association between women and water in India, as mainly women are tasked with getting water for their household. As a result, the women who managed these projects may have had a deeper understanding of the well users. 

    I was especially interested in the idea that many stepwells were the result of a woman hundreds of years ago using her power to make design decisions that improved the lives of other women. The Art History course I took recently gave the vague impression that up until around 50 years ago, women had no control over the built world. Of course, this is not true at all, but examples like the major role women had in the construction of stepwells still grab my attention. 

    Unfortunately, using stepwells as a water source had several downsides as well. Carrying jugs to and from the wells was arduous and time consuming, and the water could carry bacteria due to the well's communal and exposed nature. Because of this, stepwells today have mostly either been turned into unusual tourist destinations or been abandoned to crumble into murky water. The number of intact Indian stepwells dwindles every year.

    While most stepwells may soon be gone completely, the society they reflected in their deep waters and the cities that sprang up around them still tell the story of these surreal, vanishing monuments. 

Sources:

Victoria Lautman, Stepwell. Britannica.com

https://www.britannica.com/technology/stepwell

Christopher McFadden, The Engineering Behind Chand Baori and Other Famous Stepwells. November 2, 2020, interestingengineering.com

https://interestingengineering.com/the-engineering-behind-chand-baori-and-other-famous-stepwells

Jackson Landers, Photos Capture India's Ancient, Vanishing Stepwells. April 25, 2017, Smithsonian Magazine

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/review-vanishing-stepwells-india-180962637/

Annetta Black, Chand Baori. October 15, 2009. atlasobscura.com

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ancient-stepwells-india