Rani ki Vav Stepwell, view from the well shaft | Stepwell Photos

A photo of the huge Rani ki Vav stepwell taken from above the well shaft

The Rani ki Vav is in the town of Patan, Gujarat. Built in the 11th century but the nearby river Saraswati changed course and flooded the well with water and silt, hiding it for centuries until excavation started in 1958.

The size is awesome: 64 metres long, 7 storeys and 27 metres deep. Built from sandstone with hardly an undecorated surface: 1500 figures of gods and mythical creatures are carved into the walls and pillars. The well shaft is 10 metres diameter and 30 metres deep.

Portrait format.

A guide to approx sizes
A3: paper size 42x29.7cm, image size 40x28cm
A2: paper size 59.4x42cm, image size 57x40cm
70x50cm paper size, image size 68x48cm