The Chand Baori (Largest Stepwells), Bandikui, Rajasthan, India

Chand Baori is one of the largest stepwells in the world and also one of the most beautiful ones and is said to be named after a local ruler called Raja Chanda. However, no epigraphic evidence has been found regarding the construction of the Chand Baori or the adjoining Harshat Mata Temple. The Chand Baori is a stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan. Based on similarities in style and carvings with the terraced temples of Paranagar and Mandore, the Baodi can be dated to 8th-9th century. It was likely constructed before the temple. The Chand Baori is one of the few stepwells that has "two classical periods of water building in a single setting". according to Morna Livingston in Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India.

The oldest parts of the step-well date from the 8th century onwards, An upper palace building was added to the site, which is viewed from the tabulated arches used by the Chauhan rulers and the cusped arches used by the Mughals. Access to these rooms is now blocked for tourists. The upper stories with the columned arcade around it were built around the 18th century during the Mughal era. The Mughals also added art galleries and a retaining wall around the well. Today, there are remains of old sculptures and carvings, which were suggested to be in the temple or in the various rooms. The nearby Harshat Mata Temple was a pilgrimage site and formed a complex together with the well. Many of these stepwells, including Chand Baori, served multiple purposes including drawing water and religious or ceremonies activities. This unique form of underground well-architecture remains constant from the 7th century in the existing monument. Excavated stones of the temple are now kept by the Archaeological Survey of India in the arcades of the well. Chand Baori plays an important part of the main current of architectural activity in western India.  

Chand Baori is a deep four-sided  well with a large temple on the back face of the building. The basic architectural aspects of a  monumental well consist of a long corridor of steps leading to five or six story below the  ground level which can be seen at the site. Chand Baori consists of 3,500 narrow steps  over 13 stories. It extends approximately 30 m (100 ft) into the ground, making it one of the  deepest and largest stepwells in India.

The state of Rajasthan is extremely arid, and the design and final structure of Chand Baori was intended to conserve as much water as possible. Ancient Indian scriptures made references to construction of wells, canals, tanks and dams and their efficient operation and maintenance.This site combined many of these operations to allow for easy access to local water.  At the bottom of the well, the air remains 5-6 degrees cooler than at the surface, and Chand Baori was used as a community gathering place for locals during periods of intense heat. One side of the well has a haveli pavilion and resting room for the royals.

 

he baori has a precise geometrical pattern, hard to find in this age. The steps form a magical maze and the consequent play of light and shadow on the structure gives it a captivating look. It has an enclosed rectangular courtyard kind of structure. Upon entering you reach a jharokha (windows). Descending the stairs on the left, you can see the cavernous baori narrowing towards the bottom, criss-crossed with double flights of steps on three sides to reach the water surface down below. The stairs encircle the water on the three sides while the fourth side boasts of a pavillion with three storeys with beautiful carved jharokhas, galleries supported on pillars and two projecting balconies enshrining beautiful sculptures.

Chand Baori has been used as a filming location for a number of films, such as Bhoomi, The Fall, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Paheli, and in 2012 The Dark Knight Rises with Christian Bale as Batman.