Adalaj Stepwell, Stepwell in Adalaj, India

Adalaj Stepwell is a five-storey stepwell in Adalaj, Gandhinagar Taluka, built of sandstone in the Solanki style. Its rectangular open shaft is flanked by four arched openings on the upper level, each with a lower arched niche below, and carved bands and cornices run across the pale stone and exposed brick walls. A pool of green water fills the base, with submerged steps along its edges.

Construction began in the late 15th century under Rana Veer Singh and was completed after his death by Mohammed Begada. The structure combines building traditions from the Vaghela dynasty with early Islamic architecture in Gujarat.

The stepwell is called a vav in Gujarati, a shaft leading down to water. A shrine to the mother goddess stands in a niche, with a trident, tiger and water pot, and a Ganesha carving on the well wall marks the start of a pilgrimage. Families still bring newly married couples here to seek blessings for fertility.

The site lies about 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of Ahmedabad and opens daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Underground levels stay several degrees cooler than outside air, making the visit more comfortable on hot days.

The Sanskrit inscription on a marble slab in a recess on the first floor, reached from the eastern entry, names the queen as Rūḍābāī, wife of Virasiṃha, and records the cost as 500,111 tankas, over five lakhs. It gives the date as Samvat 1555, a Wednesday in Magha, and names Mahaṃ, son of Bhīma of the Śrīmālī caste, as overseer.