Grand stepwell worthy of great Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: For a state dotted with stepwells of varied shapes, forms and embellishments, it feels appropriate that

Gujarat

’s business capital Ahmedabad has some of the finest vavs, exemplifying the evolution of the

stepwell

from its more basic form to a more elaborate plan.

The Dada Harir Vav, located in Asarwa, fits the bill. To begin with, it has suitable pedigree in terms of its antiquity. While all historians agree that it was built towards the end of the 15th century, the presence of two inscriptions inside the vav, with contradictory dates on them, leads to some confusion. Both the inscriptions are in niches, facing each other inside the first pavilion of the vav, as if daring the other. One is in Sanskrit and mentions a date in the

Hindu calendar

which corresponds with 1499 while the other, in Arabic, mentions 1490, in terms of the Islamic calendar.

The stepwell’s name is also a matter of interest and some debate. According to historians, ‘Dada Harir’ is a mutated version of Bai Harir, the original name. According to Jutta Jain-Neubauer, the place was called Nurse’s Well (translated from the local language) till over a century ago, after which popular memory faded. The Bai Harir was apparently a supervisor of the royal harem during the reign of Sultan Mahmud Begada(reign 1458-1511). In a tribute to her influence, her patronage ensured the construction of this stepwell for the benefit of travellers heading towards the part that is now the Walled City of Ahmedabad. Her tomb, with a mosque nearby, is in the proximity to the stepwell.

According to historical accounts, there was a grove of shady fruit trees near the vav. The grove is long gone, replaced with urban construction, but the vav still gives glimpses of its old glory. Entry to the stepwell is from the east with the well-shaft lying in the west. The structure has five pavilion towers, of which only the entrance tower is above ground. The only other structures above ground are two small cupolas built above the fifth pavilion tower, close to the well-shaft.

The inside of the vav is a curious mix of Hindu and Islamic styles. As one goes deeper into the well, the structure becomes like that of Saurashtra vavs which have become shrines. The embellishment is more ornate, entrances narrower, especially that of the fifth pavilion tower, as if one were walking into the sanctum sanctorum of a temple. This is in line with the respect shown to a source of water. Interestingly, as one goes lower into the structure, climbing through five storeys of spiral staircases, the entrance to each level is through an arched door — not unlike the designs of a mosque’s

mihrab

, many similar examples of which are seen in Ahmedabad.

The innermost part of the vav — its well-shaft — is the most elaborately decorated. From top to bottom, on lintels, brackets and walls, the structure is elaborately carved with motifs. Most of the motifs are geometric patterns, with a few creatures thrown in for variety. There are peacocks with intertwined necks, geese, horses and elephants.