Agrasen ki Baoli, Historical stepwell in Central Delhi, India
Agrasen ki Baoli is a historical water heritage site in the New Delhi district that extends 60 meters into the earth. The structure consists of 108 stone steps distributed across three levels, with each side decorated with niches and arches.
No historical record identifies the builder of Agrasen ki Baoli. Tradition credits the Aggarwal community, who named it after their ancestor Agrasen, and Hindi sources place its making in the 14th century. Its architecture points to a rebuilding under the Tughlaq or Lodi period of the Delhi Sultanate, and it is now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The name baoli derives from the Hindi word for stepwell, from Sanskrit wapi. The stepwell is flanked on the west by a small three-sided mosque, and its architecture shows Persian-style, bioclimatic design. It has appeared in Bollywood films including PK, Sultan and Mom, and in 2012 on The Amazing Race Australia 2. Urban legends hold that the stepwell is haunted.
Access is via Hailey Road near Connaught Place, and admission is free. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon when the sun does not reach the steps directly.
A small three-sided mosque stands against the western side of the stepwell, built on a raised platform with underground galleries along its edges. Its roof is shaped like a whale's back, and four carved columns are joined into a single clustered pillar. Medallion ornaments decorate the arch shoulders.
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