Rani Ki Vav stands tall among ruins

Rani Ki Vav stands tall among ruins
JIGNESH VASAVADA

PATAN, FEB 13: While a number of Gujarat's modern multi-storey structures collapsed like nine pins in the January 26 earthquake, one 1000-year-old eight-storeyed structure withstood the shock. Rani Ki Vav or the Queen's stepwell at Patan, the capital of Gujarat for over 600 years between 8th and 14th centuries, surprised many by its tremor resistance.

Built by Rani Udayamati in memory of her husband Bhimdev-I (1022-63 AD) of the Solanki dynasty, this Vav is located on the left bank of the mythical river Saraswati. The entire structure was discovered intact following an excavation a couple of decades ago.

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``There are many ancient constructions in Patan. However, it was only Rani ki Vav that escaped unhurt. The Sheikh Farid Ki Dargah, a Mughal monument dating back to 700 years, succumbed to the mighty quake. So did the Khan Sarovar, yet another centuries old monument,'' explains ASI employee H.N. Patel.

Interestingly, the dome of the Dargah was a white marble construction, while the Vav, which is about 64 mts long, 20 mts wide and 27 mts deep, is made of bricks faced with hewn stones. The draw well itself measures about 100 ft in depth.

``We had all gathered at the office for the Republic Day celebrations when the quake was felt. I ran towards the Vav and was surprised to see that not a single stone moved,'' exclaims N.M. Makwana, the monument attendant.

The Vav has stepped corridors beginning at the ground level and going down to the Kund. Presently, the monument is survived by four parts -- the entrance staircase, the side walls of the stepped corridors, Mandapas or the mulit-storeyed pillared pavilions and the back walls of the well. The pillars, which support the roof, have square bases decorated with Ghat -- a Pallav motif. The entire passage leading to the Kund is a brilliant manifestation of the mastery of the Solanki structures with various sculptures depicting rhythm, vigour, beauty and other moods in stone.

Archaeological experts say that the Vav withstood the strong strong quake simply because it had a 1.5-2 metre of padding behind the wall. ``The walls and the structures also had copper clamps and headers behind the bricks. Also, the mortars were made up of lime which made it quite strong. These absorbed the shock and did not allow the structure to collapse,'' explains Patel.

As for the other monuments, the required study has been performed by experts from Delhi and plans have been drawn for restoration work.