SHAPING WATER
Water scarcity has been known across the globe. The states of western India follow a trend of highly variable rainfall. This pattern has been a reason of its geographical location. The rainfall data have changed across the century for these states, but the magnitude of scarcity of water is disproportionately higher. Since ancient time, water has been essential and crucial in the field of construction. Ancient settlements actually considered water as their primary element and grew around it, keeping water the basic and the fundamental element in a settlement.They have been found, sprung on the banks of water bodies and around water bodies. It has been a fundamental means of production for the population, used for trade, defence, transportation, industry, recreation, agriculture, leisure, etc. Water is one which is both, essential to life and life threatening. The dual force of water represents yin and yang or two sides of a coin. It can cause massive destruction through the tsunami and flooding or just disappear at some places creating draught. Places like Kutch are in draught and people have to walk kilometres in search of water, whereas Canada with its advanced hydrological system can sustain the living population of the country. Shaping water is a most important and needed segment in our lives today. When settlements in western India started, they considered water to be the main space. They built cities such that every drop of rainwater was collected for use. Chittorgarh which is supposed to be right in the desert had 48 lakes inside which were all men made and used for collecting rainwater. Jodhpur is designed in a hierarchy, where rainwater is collected in lakes, and the overflow and seepage is collected by wells and step wells. Places like Junagadh and Ahmedabad in Gujarat have created stepped wells and ponds to access the underground water table. With the invention of canal systems and dams, people have started neglecting these water bodies that were once the primary source of water. Believe or not, but reviving and revitalising these spaces might help towns and cities in collecting more rainwater and restore the water table underground.
OBJECTIVE: • to study the architectural, structural, mythological, cultural and historical significance of kunds. • To study the architectural, structural, mythological, cultural and historical significance of vavs or baolis. • And to study as to how a structure of utmost importance is not used at its full potential.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS I.
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
II. KUND ARCHITECTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
- HISTORY, GEOMETRY, TYPES
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- INFLUENCE AND TIMELINE
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- CASE STUDY-JODHPUR
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- TOORJI KA JHALRA
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- CONCLUSION
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- REFERENCE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
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III. VAV OR BAOLI ARCHITECTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-25
- HISTORY, GEOMETRY, TYPE
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- CASE STUDY-AHMEDABAD
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- INFLUENCE AND TIMELINE
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- RANI KI VAV
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- ADALAJ NI VAV
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- CONCLUSION
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- REFERENCE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
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IV. CONCLUSION
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V. REFERENCE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
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INTRODUCTION
Chand Baori WWW.goUNESCO.com
Mahil Baag Jhalra WWW.archdaily.com
Step-wells are dug-up trenches or rock-cut ponds that is reached by winding set of steps or stairs, commonly known as Baoris(in Rajasthan), Baolis(in Delhi), vav or vavdi(in Gujarat). Most common in the Western part of India, where the climate is arid to semi arid with capricious rainfall. Therefore, places like these always had to collect or harvest water and keep it accessible through dry times. This is how step wells came into being. A step well is generally made up of two structural parts: first the vertical shaft, hidden from direct sunlight by partially or fully covering it and second, the steps, chambers and passageway leading to it. The step wells gave less to evaporation than by surface water, keeping the water throughout the dry climate. Most of the step wells are filled by the seepage from the surface water and by the unground water table. Till date, these step wells function as what they were first built for, but with urbanisation and industrialisation, the ground water quality has depleted and the people have started using these places as dumping ground for their waste material and sewage.
Step-wells are generally of no architectural significance but were built to easily access the tank for maintenance. The majority of the surviving step wells also served leisure purpose. As carrying out water and household was much of what females did, these step wells became a common place for women to gather, collect water and perform rituals together, slowly converting the step wells into religious grounds( thats why some of them have relics and statues on their passageway).
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Step wells are categorised by their scale, layout, material and shape. It can be rectangular, circular, L-shaped or octagonal and built with masonry, brick or rubble and they can have as many as two, four or six separate entrances. No two step wells are same, they have their own identity wether its simple or ornamented, much depends on when and by whom was it built. The location of step wells determined the general function of the step well beside harvesting water. If it was within the city, it served as a social gathering and a community place. If on the outskirts, the cool climate within its depth of the well served as a retiring place from the heat for the travellers and traders. Covered baolis were placed at the outskirts of the city because it draws dry winds to the bottom, due to the rise of hot air, these dry winds get cooled and create a cool atmosphere, creating a comfortable
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KUND ARCHITECTURE According to mythological scriptures and Vedic references, a Kund is a stepped tank generally of square or rectilinear plan. The first of such tanks were recorded between 2500 BC to 500 BC, as tanks that were built next to religious structures, for ritualistic baths and ceremonies. According to the scriptures there were generally three kinds of kunds based on their loctaion; Yagna Kund (for rituals), Brahma Kund (for ceremonial baths) and Snan kund(for bathing). The geometry is a very simple rectangular funnel or an inverted pyramid, which is divided into a series of geometrical steps, creating landings and access to water at greater depths. The geometry and intricacy of ornamentation varied from place to place, locality to locality. With Hindu influence the kunds were highly ornamented like the Modhera kund. Later, with the muslim influence or namentation decreased and geoaetricity increased, creating simpler steeper wells, with arches, domes and chambers for the royals and aristocrats.
MODHERA SUN TEMPLE www.gujarattourism.com
Cited below is an example of a jhalra in the district of Jodhpur.
INVERTED PYRAMID
SUN TEMPLE
INVERTED FUNNEL GEOMETRY
DETAILS IN KUND www.wordpress.com
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Kunds that were built in this era were mainly Brahma kunds; i.e built near a t e m p l e fo r r i t u a l i s t i c b a t h s. T h e architectural characteristics is more of temple architecture, with small shrines and detailed motifs.
Later, with the coming of muslims in 14th century the architecture of step wells goes under metamorphosis. The symbolic value of water continues, but the ritualistic passa ge give way to chambers or halls on one side of the kund as pleasure halls. Architecturally, the kunds form remains unchanged, but there is lack of ornamentation and absence of icons. 7
JODHPUR
water bodies
greater city
MAP OF JODHPUR WALLED CITY www.architecturaldigest.com
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Mehrangarh Fort Toorji ka Jhalra The Raas Hotel Umaid chowk The Clock Tower Market.
Standing on the walls of Mehrangarh Fort, you can see the city sprawl out beneath, spreading its blue tint into the horridon; Jodhpur. Chaotic and buzzing with activity, while walking through the streets of this city, you come across a marvellous walled structure growing beneath the ground, not up but down; these are the step wells of Jodhpur. The city of Jodhpur was founded in 1495 AD, considering its water potential and the strategic situation of the plateau.
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TOORJI KA JHALRA www.wordpress.com
The entire plateau serves as a water catchment for 50 functional surface water bodies and indirectly for 150 groundwater bodies. The surface water bodies were primarily natural but they were improved by kings, engineers or local community, regardless who built it, they eventually became common property for the public. In the past, these surface water bodies were the main source of water in the city, and the seepage filled the baoris and tanks in the city. The city is a perfect example where every drop of rainwater is harvested since the start of time. Located on the slopes of a rocky plateau. It experiences arid to semi arid type of climate. Mean annual rainfall of the district is 374 mm. As the district is located in the desert area, extremes of heat in summer and cold in winter are the characteristics of the desert. Geologists classify the soil of Jodhpur to be loamy; it is an ideal soil type, with a combination of silt, sand and clay; it is dark in colour, and soft, dry and crumbly to touch.
TOORJI KA JHALRA www.wordpress.com
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TOORJI KA JHALRA
Constructed in 1740s by the Queen, Maharaja Abhay Singh’s consort, continuing the age old tradition of Royal Women building public spaces. It was built to conserve water and to get relief from the harsh heat of Jodhpur. It was an ecological and a community space for locals as well as the Royals, though the construction includes chambers that were probably built for the Royals for their leisure. Built in between a community, the step well was generally built for the public, for leisure, bathing and conserving water. It was generally utilised by women for fetching and using water for household chores.
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The step well is built in red sandstone, the locally available material, on loamy soil, making the construction strong. Loamy soil being very strong and sturdy the three sided wall of the well actually act as retaining walls, and the multilevel steps strengthen the wall for load transfer. The strength of the soil helps to go deeper and steeper without any reinforcements, making the structure open and visually accessible from all sides.
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Well Water Stairs Shrine(niches) Arches(Mughal) Chambers Terrace
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As it was built in the 1740s, it is not just Hindu architecture, but there are certain elements with islamic influence. The idea of p ro v i d i n g c h a m b e r s wa s specifically an islamic influence, as they believed in hierarchy and
Mughal influence arches, chambers, windows, balconies
Light and texture refines the path to walk visually.
The geometry and shadows create the illusion of the depth.
hindu influence n i c h e s fo r temples, open rooms, stairs, shrines
The geometry makes it easier to access the steep depth
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CONCLUSION
With time the ritualistic symbology has remained constant but architecturally it has changed. It started with delicately adorned shrines in shallow stepped well, open on all four sides to a more intricate, geometrical with defined entrances, steps on just three sides and a chamber for the nobles on the fourth side. Architecture of kund is so superlative, Indians in the 11th century had the idea of a 3d staircase, or what we call the Escher design, whose paintings of such steps became famous in the early 20th century. There are two reasons behind providing these kind of steps; in regions like Jodhpur, water table is at least 10M below ground level, making it with a huge mouth or providing a steep well with proper and safe understanding of steps. If straight steps like a vav were to be created to reach these depths, the descending would have been difficult and prone to accidents, so to avoid such mishaps the steps were designed such as to provide a doglegged descending. Today, amphitheatres, theatres, etc are all structures that are influenced from kunds. Charles Correa’s architecture is majorly influenced by this and how the steps are developed. He uses the technique and structural analysis in building spaces as part of his structures. He uses this idea, while designing Jawaharlal Kala Kendra, he designs the centre as a step well, which connects the other parts of the structure, serving as a community, gathering and a performance space for people who visit the Kendra.
JAWAHARLAL KALA KENDRA www.hiddenarchitecture.net
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ADALAJ VAV https://a.travel-assets.com/
BIBLIOGRAPHY Dying Wisdom: Rise, fall and the potential of India’s traditional rainwater harvesting-Anil Agarwal Sunita Narain The Vanishing step wells of India-Victoria Lautman Vistara-Charles Correa
REFERENCE www.hiddenarchitecture.net www.gujarattourism.com https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123816 https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123673 http://www.sihor.net/kund https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/the-evolution-of-jodhpurs-walled-city/ https://www.archdaily.com/789384/architecture-as-agent-of-change-remembering-charlescorrea-india 
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VAV OR BAOLIS
The word Vav is derived from an old Sanskrit word ‘Vapika’ meaning stepped pond or a well. A Vav is generally rectilinear in shape and it consists of two parts: 1) A vertical shaft from which the water is drawn 2) The surrounding inclined passageways, chambers and steps which provide access to the well. The galleries and chambers surrounding these wells were often carved profusely with elaborate detail and became cool, quiet retreats for the pilgrims and merchants. One of the oldest existing step well is Mata Bhavani Vav(11th century). But cited below is an example of vav in Adalaj.
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AHMEDABAD (ADALAJ)
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Adalaj ni vav Bhadaj vav Vav at Vadaj Bol Hari ni vav Mata Bhavani ni vav Ashapura mata ni vav Pouranik vav Kaali mata ni vav Khodiyar mata ni vav, Bapunagar 10. Gandharva vav 11. Vav at doshivada ni pol 12. Amritavarshini vav 13. Ambe mata ni vav 14. Khodiyar mata ni vav, Vasna 15. Jethabhai ni vav 16. Sindhvai mata ni vav
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1KM x1KM grid Ahmedabad map, scale 1:800
The city of Ahmedabad finds itself in the gently undulating plains of North Gujarat. In the semi arid landscape, water is of paramount importance and its collection, preservation and use deeply influences the patterns of human settlement. There are around 15 step wells across Ahmedabad built at varied heights to catch water from the subterranean water table. Geologists classify the soil to be clayey with clay as the major component. Most of the step wells were and are built alongside temples. The temple step wells had a mythological significance of rebirth or cleansing when you submerge yourself in water. 16
As built on undulating terrain, River Sabarmati acts as a basin, from the seeped or overflowed water ponds and lakes are filled around town and the seepage is collected by step wells. City is located in a sandy dry area, reflecting the intensifying fallout due to deforestation. River Sabarmati divides the city into two parts: old city and new city. Three main seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Except monsoons, the climate remains dry, temperature goes as high as 49 degree celsius and goes as down as 15 degree celsius in winters. Average rainfall measures 93.2 cm. Geologists classify the soil to be sandy and clayey, it is brownish ochre in colour and not very stable for construction. Ahmedabad is home to 16 vavs, ranging its construction from 11th century to 17th century. Construction was started by Hindu Solanki rulers, which was later taken over by the sultanate in the 14th century. As the primary reason for a step well was for provision of water, the sultanates did not ruin or break the existing structures, but rather contributed in construction. The first step wells were rectilinear in plan, with straight descending. With site restriction and development, the straight rectilinear changed into cruciform, L-shaped, etc.
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Hindu builders used trabeated construction(post and lintel) with corbel domes. Hindu artisans carved sculptures and niches packed with deities, humans and animals.
Islamic architecture introduced arches and true domes and it forbade depiction of any form of creatures but rather focus on geometrical shapes and strict geometry. 18
RANI KI VAV
Because of the flooding of River Sarasvati in the 12th or 13th century, Rani ki vav was declared out of use. But due to the silting from the flooding, it helped the stepwell to exist for more than 7 centuries. Today it has provided us with a great deal of knowledge in terms of architecture, construction techniques, history and culture. Rani ki vav, is said to be the first step well in the locality. Built by the queen in the memory of Maharaja Bhimdev I, in the 11th century. It is regarded as the largest step well of its kind, spanning upto, 9.5 x 9.4 x 30M(deepest). it is built like an inverted temple in solanki style architecture. It is a single component, water management system divided into 7-levels of steps and structural panels covered in artistic sculptures.
A circular trench for the well is dug upto a man’s height or about 5 feet. Then a ring of decay-resistant wooden ring is lowered down for levelling and it serves as a footing and then the process is repeated again after its dug more at 5 feet. As the masons keep going deeper the wall keeps getting thicker as to withstand buckling or vertical pressure. ADALAJ NI VAV
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ADALAJ NI VAV
ADALAJ VAV www.gujarattourism.com
It is believed that villagers used to come in the morning, offer their prayers to the deities and collect water and interact with each other at the vav. Also known as Rudabai ni Vav, it was built in a village north of Ahmedabad, the step well acted as a resting place for many pilgrims and caravans along their trade routes. It was built in 1499, during the reign of queen Rudabai. Construction was started by Rana Veer Singh, but was taken over by the Muslim King Mahmud Begada built in Indo-Islamic architectural style. Though now dry, the 5-storey step well is dug directly towards the water table, and rose and fell according to the rainfall throughout the year. 20
Adalaj was finished in the 15th century. By then the influence of Islamic architecture was significant in the structures. The Muslims were not numerous enough or their religion was not strong enough so they could not erase the HIndu influence entirely but rather invent a new architecture Indo-islamic architecture. Islamic architecture doesn’t believe in jalis, pavilions and sculptures of animals, humans or deities, but adalaj is an exception and the sculptures are a fusion of both the religion and it is the first ever step well to have a longitudinal plan with transverse entrance. The plan looks like a Christian basilica cross, which was later adapted by Islamic Architecture. The well is octagonal in plan, which was new to this architecture and probably Islamic in nature. In plan, descend looks quite simple. But in section its quiet dizzying, the experience of walking through light to shadow to light again is a beautiful way to experience the step well. Every step on your way down you see a completely different view of the step well, and every step takes you deeper, peaceful and cooler area of the step well.
The tops of the step well have an upper platform shielding above light in these spaces, these are placed instead of the towers from temple architecture. The pavilion themselves do not rise up out of the Earth marking their existence along the ground plane.
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Initial descent is from three entrances, leading you to a decorated rectangular pavilion. Further descending, you pass through three such pavilions standing and leaning on columns, which all act reinforcements or tie beams to the retaining wall, holding the weight of the structure. The tops of the pavilion is shut by slabs to limit sunlight to come in to create a rather soothing and cool environment, a retreat away from the scorching heat. Built in sandstone in Solanki architectural style. It is built on clayey soil with clay as their major component, which makes the soil unstable for construction. So the step wells have slab column configuration which act as tie beams to the retaining walls, holding the retaining wall and not letting it topple.
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Desire to include Hindu ornament is clear as Adalaj has extremely intricate details in the shrines, pillars, and parapets. Although the ruling Muslims favored a sense of simplicity without figures, the Hindu builders incorporated geometric designs that pushed the envelope of acceptable Islamic ornament. The play of light and shadow makes the environment cool and perfect for retreat. 23
CONCLUSION Ahmedabad has many step wells in the city, which today act as tourist places pr temples, but once upon a time they all acted as catchment areas and served water for the full village for 9 months. With the geological shift in the 13th or 14 th century, most of the step wells have gone dry and are not used as water bodies anymore, but are rather used as temples and great architectural marvels. Ahmedabad is a city where we can witness Indo-islamic architecture, the time of the era when the sultanates were not that powerful to neglect Hindu religion but strong enough to take over their territories. The Adalaj stepwell is considered by many to be the most famous, complex, and classical stepwell ever built. It's otherworldly space invites a sense of spiritual peace in its visitors while acting as a conduit toward that most necessary activity of life: accessing water. As the soil was not good for constructing such deep underground structures, it was quit difficult to build this. wells were provided with buttresses, that is the horizontal wall extended In the well and the walls were supported by pavilions and thick columns. With islamic influences in picture. Adalaj became the icon of the fusion architecture, with sculptures of both the religion.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Dying Wisdom: Rise, fall and the potential of India’s traditional rainwater harvesting-Anil Agarwal Sunita Narain The Vanishing step wells of India-Victoria Lautman Vistara-Charles Correa
REFERENCE


https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res60/97000/97542-AhmedabadAnd-Vicinity.jpg www.gujarattourism.com https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-183290 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922 http://jatinchhabra.com/adalaj-vav-stepwell-gujarat/ http://www.hoparoundindia.com/Gujarat/attractions-gallery/29315/adalaj-vav.aspx#3 http://aesirlab.cc/writings/vol3-2 25
CONCLUSION Every form of architecture has an immediate, physical impacts as we move through it, but descending into the Earth is a completely different feeling. Descending into Adalaj ni vav, the extreme contrasts that exists heighten all the senses. Moving from a hot arid climate to a cool damp environment. The hustle and bustle become hushed. The glaring sunlight is dimmed every step you take, but where those steps take you is an illusion. Views telescoped in every direction is constantly shifting. Towers of ornately sculpted columns loom over us, sunlight filtered and then you see the water and enter the alternate reality. And this is how someone would have experienced a stepwell, thousands of years ago. Stepwells, very few people know about them and even fewer who have seen it. It's a luxury that only the community or the people who built it can enjoy. How can it be possible, that the structures that once played a significant role in our tradition, as water harvesting structures ,have no meaning to us anymore? It is believed that around 3,000 step wells were constructed between the 7th to the mid 19th century, predominantly found in the western regions of India. These are the marks of the invisible, underground landscape; sacred to the people who built them, and storage for life-giving water. Culturally, To Hindus three elemental ideas—water gives life, a daily bath cleans us of sin, and a bath replicates a moment when one is closest to heaven—more than justified the making of pools. The idea of water acting as the element that cleanses of sins and the belief of rebirth is observed in modern day temple architecture as well. In Varanasi, the banks of River Ganges are in steps just like a stepwell to descend to the water and cleanse of your sins. Even in our homes, our elders say to take a bath before offering prayers. Water acts a cleansing or a purifying element and thats why most of the stepwells are next to temples or are used as Brahma kunds.
Varanasi www.thrillophilia.com
As the architectural historian and author Morna Livingston
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describes in Steps to Water, the “excavation is balanced with construction—one pair of opposites in a series that includes sky and water, solid and liquid, empty and full. Moreover, when compared to other historian structures built at that time, these step wells presented an inverted and therefore unusual type of construction. Stepwells are ingeniously conceived structures encasing water, built by benevolent patrons or patronesses for common public as an act of kindness and philanthropy. They are an integral part of mainstream Indian architecture, with complex architectural spatial configuration and intelligent arrangement of structural features like steps, pavilions, lintel, beams, galleries and underground chambers. It took a lot more than building a shaft to access the underground water. Each stepwell is unique to its location and to the terrain. They were built as a result to the predictable wether of our subcontinent, especially western India. The extreme weather condition in western India fluctuates the water table drastically, which required appropriate studies to calculate the depth of the well and the steps. Some were just 3M whereas the others went as deep as 30M. Due to the Geological shifts throughout History, today, very few serve the purpose of harvesting water. But the sublime engineering, craftsmanship and masonry are still intact, which makes them important architectural structures. This makes the fact that they so little known to us today. But there has been a proper explanation as to why they are less known to us today. When the Britishers invaded India in the early 19th century, they declared Stepwells to be unhygienic and unsanitary and since then there has been a decline for the use of these stepwells. In 2014, Toorji ka Jhalra, in Jodhpur, had water, but was filled with trash. The depth was unclear, and the sections and elevation were covered by white residue from the trash. The JDH Urban Regeneration Project for Jodhpur was established, it drained out the toxic water and cleaned the tank off almost 300 truck load of trash. An astonishing stepwell was revealed(what we see today). The structure was cleaned and few elements were refurbished, creating a community structure with accessible water throughout the year. Some stepwells like Toorji can still function today but are dominated by the human settlements and human habits. By just spreading the knowledge of these wells and and cleaning them, will help in rejuvenating the water table. Today, with advanced technology we can do much more, we can create structures that function like wells and actually recycle water with green landscape. We can recreate the underground landscape or use the knowledge to build modern day required community spaces. For example, The PENDA Firm, has designed a new landscape for Hyderabad, inspired from the country’s stepwells and water mazes. The system he has developed, recycles and reuses the water to create a stepped landscape of pathways, seating, grass and trees.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Dying Wisdom: Rise, fall and the potential of India’s traditional rainwater harvesting-Anil Agarwal Sunita Narain The Vanishing step wells of India-Victoria Lautman Vistara-Charles Correa Water Design: Environment and histories-Jutta Jain-Neubauer
REFERENCE https://a.travel-assets.com/findyours-php/viewfinder/images/res60/97000/97542-AhmedabadAnd-Vicinity.jpg www.gujarattourism.com https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-183290 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922 http://jatinchhabra.com/adalaj-vav-stepwell-gujarat/ http://www.hoparoundindia.com/Gujarat/attractions-gallery/29315/adalaj-vav.aspx#3 http://aesirlab.cc/writings/vol3-2 www.hiddenarchitecture.net www.gujarattourism.com https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123816 https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123673 http://www.sihor.net/kund https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/the-evolution-of-jodhpurs-walled-city/ https://www.archdaily.com/789384/architecture-as-agent-of-change-remembering-charlescorrea-india 

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