As far as one could see, empty deserts, the blowing away of sand dunes, deep, unearthly silence and eyes desperate for just one glimpse of water.....the life was somewhat like that in the 15th century, for the people of Gujarat and Rajasthan, where one would spend his entire life by staring at the sky, with a hope that nature might bless them with rains.
Close to Ahmedabad, lies the village of Adalaj, where a deep intricate stepwell has still kept its history alive.
Manvita Baradi, an architect from Gujarat in Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, claimed that Adalaj had faced the problem of water shortage from the very beginning. The stepwell or Vav, as the localites say, was basically a public property designed especially for the welfare of the village folks, so that they could be privileged for their basic needs like water, which was quite difficult to fetch, especially in Adalaj.
Dr Ramjibhai Savaliya, author of 'Steps of Indology' stated the exact geographical reason behind the formation of this stepwell. He claimed that the water of the Sabarmati river flowed in the direction of Mahanadi region and thus it was quite impossible for the people of Adalaj to be easily accessible to that water.
Gujarat faced a severe drought in the year 1550. There was a condition of acute crisis, especially in Adalaj. In such a situation, the formation of Adalaj Vav proved to be a blessing in disguise.
Yatin Pandya, an author from Ahmedabad explained that the concept of Vav or stepwell was quite an intelligent concept, in comparison to those times. To get easy access to the available groundwater, a deep hole under the ground near about 50 feet and construction of stairs equivalently so that people could easily go down and fetch water. This concept came to be known as "Step-well" - A well with steps or as the local language says "Vav", " Bavdi", or "Baoli".
The Adalaj Vav was built in 15th century by Rana Veer Sinh Vaghela during the reign of Gujarat Sultanate. The main purpose behind the construction of this Vav was to solve the problem of water shortage in Adalaj. But Adalaj Vav is associated with a very tragic and powerful story of his existence.
During the reign of Sultanate, Mahmud Begada, the prominent Sultan of Gujarat shifted to Ahmedabad from his capital at Champaner. He annexed other small independent kingdoms with the quest for expanding his territory. He was enchanted with Roodabai's beauty, queen of Veer Sinh Vaghela and was determined to marry her. His desire and lust made him kill Ranaji. But this story is still considered as folklore. Historians still believe that Mahmud Begada's quest for extending his empire might be the main reason of killing Rana Veer Sinh.
Rani Roodabai was a woman with a strong determination and enchanting beauty. Speaking of that era, where Rajputana women would perform Jauhar (self-immolation) after the death of their husband, Rani Roodabai decided to accept Mahmud Begada's proposal in order to complete the construction of the Vav. As a queen, she was equally dutiful towards her subjects and understood the significance of the Vav.
Mahmud Begada's love for Roodabai was an opportunity for the queen to uphold her Rajputana dignity and at the same time to fulfill her husband's last wish. She put forward a condition that she would marry the Sultan only after the construction of the Vav would be complete. Mahmud Begada had equal respect for the queen and accepted all her conditions, with an only desire in his heart to marry her at any cost. Mahmud Begada himself incurred the expenses for making this Vav. It was estimated that the total expenditure was near about 5 lakhs.
Set in the quiet village of Adalaj, this Vav had served as a resting place for hundreds of years for many pilgrims and caravans along their trade routes. This five-storeyed stepwell was not just a cultural and utilitarian space, but also a spiritual refuge. It is believed that villagers would come everyday in the morning to fill water, offer prayers to the deities carved into the walls and interact with each other in the cool shade of the Vav. There is an opening in the ceilings above the landing which allows the light and air to enter the octagonal well. However direct sunlight does not touch the flight of steps or landing except for a brief period at noon. Hence, some researches say that the atmosphere inside the well is six degrees cooler than the outside.
Another remarkable feature of this stepwell is that out of the many stepwells in Gujarat, it is the only one with three entrance stairs. All three stairs meet at the first storey, underground in a huge square platform, which has an octagonal openingon top. The Vav is a spectacular example of Indo-Islamic architecture and design. The harmonious play of intricate Islamic floral patterns seamlessly fusing into culture and ethos of those times. All the walls carved by ornamentation, mythological scenes along with everyday scenes of women churning buttermilk, dancers accompanied by musicians, women adorning themselves and a king sitting on a stool. Fascinating to many visitors is the Ami Khumbor(a pot that contains the water of life) and the Kalp Vriksha ( a tree of life) carved out of a single slab of stone. There is a belief that the small frieze of Navagraha( nine planets) towards the edge of the well protects the monument from evil spirits.
But the question arises that whether it was really acceptable to Rani Roodabai to marry a Muslim king decling her Rajputana values?
Roodabai was equally firm in her decision of upholding her Rajputana values to save her pride as exactly like she was determined to fulfil her husband's last wish. After the Vav was completed, on that particular day when the Sultan was going to be married with the Queen, Roodabai all decked up as a Rajput bride...to end her life...rather than starting her new life with the Sultan. She sent a note to the Sultan that she was grateful to him for considering the significance of this Vav, but she can not deny her Rajput values at any cost. She circumambulated around the Vav, which was somewhat a similar ritual in Jauhar, and committed suicide. By the time the Sultan would realise, it was quite late then.
This was a tragic yet powerful ending of the fate of Roodabai. The Adalaj Vav could be truly said as an epitome of love,virtue and sacrifice. The Indo-Islamic architecture was a representation of communal harmony, an amalgamation of two different cultures. Intricate carvings, unique techniques of infrastructure, a blessing in disguise for Adalaj back to those times....this is what this Adalaj Vav is all about. More than an unheard secret, lies the untold story of love of a queen towards his king, her wisdom, her strong uphold of her royal values and her concern towards her subjects. The walls of Adalaj ....maybe quiet though...but still echoes of his history of his times.
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