A bawri means a source of water which Indians have used since times immemorial to meet the water demands of a local populace. Ancient kingdoms, across the length and breadth of this country, are known to have constructed such water bodies to harvest water and preserve ground water table.
One such marvel is located in the Northern State of Rajasthan in India. The state witnesses extreme heat during the summers and thus the presence of such 'bawris' all along the state. Constructed in a step-well fashion these water bodies would be accessible via steps that go as down as 50 feet in some cases. During the rainy season, water levels would rise and thus making it easier to draw the water from surface level. However, come summers and the steps would come into picture.
Located almost a hundred kilometers outside Jaipur, this pristine step-well is an architectural wonder. We had read about it in one of our geography books but we were unsure about its exact location. We boarded a train from Delhi that would take us to Jaipur and there from we would take a taxi or a bus to reach Dausa where Chand Bawri is located.
However, a few stations before Jaipur our train came to a halt, and it kept standing there for a considerable period of time. It was probably clearing the track for another high-speed train. The moment I looked outside the window, the board read 'Dausa'. So, this is where we were supposed to come to see the 'bawri'.
We gathered our stuff in a jiffy, two backpacks and a walking stick, and deboarded the train right outside the Dausa Station. It was not an authorized stop for our train, so the train had stopped in the middle track. We crossed the track and landed at Dausa Platform. Not an ideal or safe way to deboard the train but that saved us a great deal of time.
Not recommended to deboard the train in such fashion.
Now there lurked another problem, it was 0400 Hours in the morning and there were just us and a few dogs outside the station. The taxi stand was literally empty and few autorickshaws were hovering around. Now, to board an auto to go to an unknown destination really did not appeal to me so we decided to wait at the station for an hour or so. The auto guy saw us, walked upto us and offered his help. He was going in the same direction where we were supposed to go and around halfway he would help us find another vehicle that would land us right outside the Chand Bawri.
And half an hour later, we were standing in the middle of an eight lane highway, waving at trucks to give us lift :)
Fortunately, one trucker stopped and helped us reach Chand Bawri.
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The entrance has a main door which was locked but it had a small opening that would let us inside. Caretaker's phone number was available on the Internet, so we decided to give him a call before committing another unauthorized act. Fortunately, he was an early riser and he allowed us to get in.
It was a sight to behold. The sun rising amidst the clouds and pigeons trying to earn their morning bread before it got hot. The open courtyard looked beautiful against the backdrop of rising sun.
It was in the month of July so we could actually get down to the lowest level of waterbody to appreciate this architectural marvel. There was a small temple where natives would pray before summers arrived to pray for good rains and less heat. We were told that this practice continues till date.
Imagery cast in stone
Chand Bawri Stepwell - Architectural Wonder of India
The haunted palace of Abhaneri was closeby and we were actually tempted to go there. However, with no companions in sight, it looked like a risky idea so we turned our backs. It is said that Abhaneri is one of the most haunted places of India. If only I had not seen scary videos on Facebook last night, I would have certainly gone to Abhaneri :D
