iPhone journeys : searching for stepwells on the road to Rajgarh.
March 2025. Previously: iPhone in Rajasthan - Alwar Palace & Moosi Rani Sagar
There was a stepwell halfway and we had a clue: “If you want to find the stepwell turn left opposite the Reliance petrol pump. Then left again.” No signposts. Just word of mouth. That’s how you find the local stepwell—known simply as Baori.
As we arrived, a young boy zipped past on a bicycle, a puzzled smile. A woman in a vibrant sari balanced a water pot on her head and walked with quiet grace. Beyond the road, through a tangle of undergrowth, ancient steps lead down into silence. Five tiers of carved archways descend into the earth - once echoing with the splash of water, now hushed and dry. A crowd gathers, bemused by our interest.
Golden light slanted across moss-covered stone, choked with sand and weeds. Insects hum in the stillness. Someone has placed a couple of framed images of Krishna and Radha in a niche in the wall. The classic lovers of India. Maybe a quiet place for a tryst?
It feels like time has stopped here. A forgotten wonder. No name. Just Baori.
We drive on to Rajgarh and follow an unlikely dusty lane. We're at the village of Machari looking for a stepwell named Kua. Is there a baori? Someone points to a low white structure on a mound. Camels emerge from the trees. It doesn't look promising, but we're about to encounter something extraordinary.
We pass through an arched doorway and look down into a biblical scene: a mass of bamboo scaffholding fills a circular well shaft. Steep steps spiral down the well and inside the walls of the well.
You can't see the bottom, it's lost in the darkness. A man and a girl are the only workers; he watches as she mixes cement inside the narrow internal white painted walls. They seem intent on rebuilding the steps that have crumbled away, pigeons are the onlookers. It's extraordinary and I'm lost for words. I'm delighted to see a stepwell being restored, most are becoming neglected.
We drive into Rajgarh town. There are several stepwells here but the market is crowded and our driver is getting irritated. We make a left through a series of tricky lanes and get lost. We ask for Rajgarh Kund and a young woman on the back of a scooter leads us there, it was very close.
A good day for stepwells. We make our way to Jaipur.