Rani ki Vav | |
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Location | Patan, India |
Coordinates | 23°51′32″N 72°6′6″E / 23.85889°N 72.10167°E |
Area | 4.68 ha (11.6 acres) |
Location in Gujarat | |
Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iv) |
Reference | 922 |
Inscription | 2014 (38th Session) |
Buffer zone | 125.44 ha (310.0 acres) |
Rani Ki Vav (lit. 'The Queen's Stepwell') is a stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat, India. It is located on the banks of the Saraswati River. Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, the spouse of the 11th-century Chaulukya king Bhima I. Silted over, it was rediscovered in the 1940s and restored in the 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India. It has been listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India since 2014. This stepwell is designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water. It is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels. These panels have more than 500 principal sculptures and over 1000 minor ones combining religious, secular, and symbolic imagery.