Stepwells of India

For centuries, people in the dry lands of western India built stepwells: deep wells with flights of stairs leading down to the water. Some are simple and practical, others are richly carved like underground temples. They kept water close in the dry season and offered a cool place to rest.

This guide takes you to five remarkable stepwells: Chand Baori, Rani ki Vav, the Adalaj Stepwell, Agrasen ki Baoli and Panna Meena ka Kund.

How to use the app: open any stepwell and descend level by level to the water, solve its picture puzzle, make a postcard to share and find out which stepwell suits you best.

Explore the stepwells

Chand Baori

Abhaneri, Rajasthan · 8th–9th century

A giant upside-down pyramid of criss-cross steps, about 30 metres deep.

13 levels · about 3,500 steps

Rani ki Vav

Patan, Gujarat · 11th century

The “Queen’s Stepwell”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covered in carved figures.

7 levels · 500+ main sculptures

Adalaj Stepwell

Near Gandhinagar, Gujarat · 1498–1499

Five storeys of carved pillars and galleries, cool and shady even in summer.

5 storeys · octagonal well

Agrasen ki Baoli

New Delhi · Rebuilt around the 14th century

A long stepwell of arched niches, hidden among the office blocks of central Delhi.

108 steps · 60 m long

Panna Meena ka Kund

Amer, near Jaipur, Rajasthan · Around the 16th century

A golden stepwell of zigzag stairs, just a short walk from Amer Fort.

8 levels · criss-cross stairs