We have been exploring some very interesting spots in and around Ahmedabad, Gujarat over the past few months. A highlight of a few of such places has to be their architecture. Adalaj ni Vav or Adalaj Stepwell, is one such example.
How to reach
Located in Adalaj village, Gandhinagar district, you can easily reach this place by road ( Patan highway) from Ahmedabad. It took us around 45 mins with a stop for chai.
Opening and closing time
6 am to 6 pm all days of the week
Entrance Fee
Free entry
History and architecture
A stunning example of Indo-Islamic fusion architecture, it was built by the Hindu queen Rani Roopba with help from neighbouring Muslim ruler King Mehmud Begad.
The structure is built in Solanki style of architecture, with Islamic influence, and consists of five storeys, each of which is uniquely designed with beautiful carvings all over the walls and columns. This stepwell served as a place for relaxation for pilgrims and caravans in the earlier years.
Since direct sunlight does not reach the interiors of the vav, the temperature inside the stepwell is apparently six degrees cooler than the outside. A unique feature of this stepwell is that out of the many stepwells in Gujarat, this is the only one with three entrance stairs.
Blong...Shong 