Page 421 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

GUJAR A T  419

Ornamental Detail
The well-shafts are VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
pro fusely carved
with intricate floral Practical Information
and geometric Gandhinagar district. 17 km
motifs, interspersed (11 miles) N of Ahmedabad.
with figurines. Open daily. Flash photography
is prohibited
Transport
@ Taxis and autos are the best
options from Ahmedabad.

. The First Landing
Balconies, windows,
doors and shrines line
the first landing – a
large underground
platform. Adalaj is best
viewed at noon, when
sunlight filters down
to the bottom.

. Wall Niches
The Pavilions Niches feature in all the
Supported by rows of carved pillars, the pavilions. They are carved
pavilions are flooded with diffused light with motifs of pots, horses,
and provide ideal resting places. flowers and leaves.

Other Stepwells in Gujarat
The 11th-century Rani ni Vav, a UNESCO World
Heritage site in Patan (see p421), is among the most
elaborately carved stepwells, with some 800
sculptures. Built in 1500, Dada Harir Vav (see p415)
in Ahmedabad, is one of the finest examples of
a vav from the Muslim period in Gujarat. The
15th-century Ambarpur Vav, 18 km (11 miles)
from Ahmedabad, is one of the few vavs still in use. Rani ni Vav in Patan, one of India’s largest stepwells

418-419_EW_India.indd 419 26/04/17 11:46 am