The Baolis of Mehrauli are four

stepwell Stepwells (also known as vav or baori) are wells, cisterns or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in defining subterranean architecture in western India from the 7th to the ...

s approached through single stage or three stage steps, located in

Mehrauli Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, Delhi, India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurugram and next to Vasant Kunj. History Mehrauli is one of the seven medieval cities that ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, India, in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park mainlined by the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

. These are the Anangtal Baoli, the Gandhak Ki Baoli, and the Rajon Ki Baoli. These were built below the ground level as ground water edifices and were built near shrines in medieval times.

Location

The baolis in Mehrauli are located in the South district of Delhi. Two of the baolis, Gandhak ki Baoli and Rajon ki Baoli, lie in the Archaeological Park maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India near Qutab Minar. Gandhak ki Baoli (to the south of the Adham Khan's tomb) is at one extremity of the Archaeological Park. Rajon ki Baoli is away from this baoli. Anangtal Baoli is in a forest 100 meters (330 ft) west of the Yogmaya Mandir, behind a neighborhood and outside of the Archaeological Park complex. While the baoli built by Emperor Aurangzeb near Zafar Mahal was illegally occupied and destroyed by locals to make residential houses.

History

The oldest of the three baolis, Anangtal Baoli, was built in the 11th century (1060 AD) by king Anangpal II of the Tomar dynasty in the then capital area of Lalkot of Delhi. Gandhak ki Baoli is believed to have been built during the 13th century when the slave dynasty of the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

Iltutmish Shams ud-Din Iltutmish (1192 – 30 April 1236) was the third of the Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi, and is thus considered the effective founder of ...

(1211–1236 AD) ruled over Delhi. The Rajon ki Baoli is named after the ''rajmistries'' or masons who used it. It was built during the 16th century, by Daulat Khan during the rule of Sikander Lodhi of the Lodhi Dynasty. The Baoli of

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

was built by Emperor

. It measured 130 feet by 36 feet while the well was 30 feet in diameter, it contained 74 steps and was built in three stage. The Baoli was illegally demolished by local residents to make way for residential apartments. The area of the

Baoli Stepwells (also known as vav or baori) are Water well, wells, cisterns or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in defining subterranean architecture in western India from the ...

is now an uphill road with rows of homes, shops and warehouses on each side.

Features

Anangtal Baoli

The Anangtal Baoli (28°31'31.7"N 77°10'53.8"E), the oldest baoli in Delhi, is a single stage step well, built by the

Tomara dynasty The Tomaras of Delhi (also called Tomar dynasty in modern vernaculars due to schwa deletion) ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th–12th century. Their rule over this region is attested to by multiple inscriptions ...

ruler Anangpal II (r.c.1051 – c.1081). Anangpal II was instrumental in populating

Indraprastha Indraprastha (Sanskrit: इन्द्रप्रस्थ, n̪d̪ɾɐpɾɐst̪ʰə (lit. "Plain of Indra" or "City of Indra") is a city cited in ancient Indian literature as a constituent of the Kuru Kingdom. It was designated the capit ...

and giving it its present name, Delhi. The region was in ruins when he ascended the throne in the 11th century, it was he who built Lal Kot fort and Anangtal Baoli. The Tomar rule over the region is attested by multiple inscriptions and coins, and their ancestry can be traced to the

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

(of the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

)" said BR Mani, former joint director-general of the

(ASI). Excavations at this site reveal that the well was probably very large; some steps leading to the water are extant. It used the technique of

rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a Rainwater tank, tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), Aquifer s ...

for its storage. The baoli is located in a forest behind a neighborhood and is used as a local waste dump and pig farm, with sewage running into it. While it was supposed to be maintained by the

Delhi Development Authority The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is a statutory body established under the Delhi Development Act, 1957, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India to "promote and secure the development of Del ...

(DDA), the Delhi High Court ordered that the '' Yogmaya Mandir Welfare and Management Society'' take over, since the DDA was failing in its duties. As of 8 December 2018, the baoli is not maintained and does not have any markers signifying its historical relevance. On 27 June 2022 Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena directed officials to redevelop Anangtal Baoli within two months to restore Delhi's lost and abandoned heritage. LG Saxena emphasised that the restoration work must be appropriately done, preserving the structure's heritage identity, especially its hidden aspects.

Gandhak ki Baoli

The Gandhak ki Baoli () is a much larger step well than the Anangtal Baoli. It was built by Sultan

in the early 13th century. It has decorative architectural features. As the name Gandhak implies, the water in the step well has sulphur content and hence smells of sulphur fumes, and the water is said to have curative quality. It has a simple plan with five stages or floors at each stage, in taper down fashion, with steps leading to the water surface at the lowest level. The stairway here is about long and wide. On each floor there are ornate pillared passages. Over the centuries the step well got silted up and recently ASI imitated action to do desilting. the desilting operations carried out by ASI in 2004–05 has resulted in recuperation of the water in the well to a depth of .

Rajon ki Baoli

The Rajon ki Baoli (), rectangular in plan, is the largest and most ornamented of all the three baolis in Mehrauli. It was built by

Sikandar Lodi Sikandar Khan Lodi (; 17 July 1458 – 21 November 1517), born Nizam Khan () also known as Sikandar II, was Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate between 1489 and 1517. He became ruler of the Lodi dynasty after the death of his father Bahlul Khan Lodi ...

in 1516. It has a series of steps forming four stages, each in descending size, with floors at each stage, leading to the water level from the surrounding ground level. Its appearance is like a courtyard of the medieval period with passages marked by stylized carved symmetrical arches spanning the columns in North Indian architectural style, which form the three sides of the baoli. There are rooms at each floor which once provided a cool resting place for people. With its incised plaster work, the baoli is an elegant architectural edifice. When built the water used to reach up to the third stage. Over the centuries the well got silted up. It has since been desilted. The Archaeological Survey of India has carried out desilting operations of the well which was silted to a depth of , during 2004–05. As a result, the water level has risen by 20 ft and 60 steps in the well lead to the surface of water.

Baoli of Emperor Aurangzeb

Situated to the west of Zafar Mahal, near the

Dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

of Khwaja Qutub-uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in

it was built by Emperor

in imitation of Gandhak ki Baoli and Rajon Ki Baoli. It measured 130 feet by 36 feet while the well was 30 feet in diameter, it contained 74 steps and was built in three stage. The

was destroyed to make residential houses. The area of the

is now an uphill road with rows of homes, shops and warehouses on each side.

Stepwells in and around Delhi

** Baolis of Mehrauli, group of 4 stepwells *** Anangtal ki Baoli, built in 11th century by the

ruler Anangpal II (r.c.1051 – c.1081), is the oldest stepwell in Delhi area and it is a single stage stepwell. *** Gandhak ki Baoli near

Qutub Minar The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and victory tower comprising the Qutb complex, which lies at the site of Delhi's oldest fortified city, Lal Kot, founded by the Tomar Rajputs. It is a UNESCO World Heritage ...

and south of Tomb of Adham Khan, early 13th century: built by Sultan

(r. 1211–1236), with long and wide stairway. *** Rajon Ki Baoli near Qutub Minar and 200 m from Gandhak ki Baoli, built in 1516 CE by

. *** Aurangzeb ki Baoli in

west of Zafar Mahal, near the

of Khwaja Qutub-uddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, built in a late 17th or early 18th century by Emperor

(r. 1658-1707 CE), it is 130 feet by 36 feet with 30 feet diameter well and 74 steps in three stage. ** Agrasen Ki Baolivnear Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar, 14th century or earlier: literally ''Stepwell of

Agrasen Agrasen, most commonly known as Maharaja (literally, ''great king'') Agrasen, was a legendary Indian king of Agroha Mound, Agroha, a city of traders in the district of Hisar_district, Hisar, Haryana. He is a descendant of the Hinduism, Hindu dei ...

'', though some of the architectural features are from the 14th century

Tughlaq The Tughlaq dynasty (also known as the Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty; ) was the third dynasty to rule over the Delhi Sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyath ...

or Lodi period of

. This 60-meter long and 15-meter wide stepwell is located on Hailey Road which connects Kasturba Gandhi Road and

Barakhamba Road Barakhamba, also known as Barakhamba Monument, is a 14th-century tomb building from the Tughlaq period that is located in New Delhi, India. Barakhamba means '12 Pillars' in Urdu and Hindi languages. The name has also been used for an upscale m ...

. It opens from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ** Hazrat Nizamuddin Ki Baoli near Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, 14th century: built by Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia during Gyasuddin Tughlaq's reign. ** Dwarka Baoli in

Dwarka Dwarka () is a town and municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Gujarat. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at ...

, 16th century: built in 16th century by the sultans of Lodi Dynasty. *

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

** Faridabad:

Surajkund Surajkund is an ancient reservoir of the 10th century located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in Faridabad city of Haryana state about 8 km (5mi) from South Delhi. Surajkund ( literally 'Lake of the Sun') is an artificial Kund ...

built in 10th century located on Southern Delhi Ridge of

Aravalli range The Aravalli Range (also spelled ''Aravali'') is a mountain range in North India, Northern-Western India, running approximately in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Ahme ...

in Faridabad 8 km (5mi) from South

. **

Gurugram Gurgaon (), officially named Gurugram (), is a satellite city of Delhi and administrative headquarters of Gurgaon district, located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest o ...

: Badshahpur group of stepwells has 3 stepwells, *** Badshahpur Mohanlal Stepwell built in 1905 by Mohan Lal and currently owned by his grandson Ved Prakash Mangla (c. 2018), is a

on sector road near Sohna Road in Badshahpur in Gurugram.Intach writes to state, seeks preservation of 100-year-old stepwell

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

, 20 January 2018. *** Akhara Stepwell on the same road as Mohanlal Stepwell in Badshahpur, built in 18th-20th centuries in mixed Ahir-Rajput-Jat-Mughal architectural style of 18th-20th centuries.Forgotten stepwells fine examples of our heritage
Hindustan Times, 16 September 2019. Both baolis in Badhshapur are nased on the square plan with three side steps and a rectangular single steps to move down into the baoli. A stepped pond was usually built near a temple and the stepped well was built on travel routes or the outskirts of towns by nobles, queens, rich traders and philanthropists of the community to provide drinking water to the passers-by. *** Dhumaspur Stepwell in Djumaspur village near Badshahpur, built in early 19th century.The allegations of the ancient Bawdi disappearing on church management
11 January 2018. *** Baoli Ghaus Ali Shah in

Farrukhnagar Farrukhnagar is a small town and municipality in Farrukhnagar tehsil of Gurugram district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is situated from Gurgaon and shares its border with Jhajjar district. It was established in 1732 by Faujdar Khan, the ...

on Farrukhnagar-Jhajjar road near old gate of Farrukhnagar city, 16th century: built by Ghaus Ali Shah, a local chief during the reign of Mughal emperor Farrukh Siyar.Baoli Ghaus Ali Shah

Haryana Tourism Haryana Tourism Corporation (HTC) is an agency of the Government of Haryana, India established in 1974. The organisation operates 44 tourist facilities spread across the state of Haryana. These facilities offer visitors lodging, dining, and r ...

, accessed 19th January 2024. **

Rohtak Rohtak () is a city and the administrative headquarters of the Rohtak district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies north-west of New Delhi and south of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 9 (old NH 10). Rohtak forms a part of the Nationa ...

: Choron ki baoli or Shahjahan ki baoli in Maham, built in 1658-59 CE by Saidu Kala, a local vassal of Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 CE) on NH-9 Delhi-Rohtak-Meham-Hisar Road.

References

{{Reflist Mehrauli Stepwells in Delhi Buildings and structures completed in the 11th century Monuments of National Importance in Delhi Stepwells in India