Agrasen Ki Baoli

Agrasen Ki Baoli (also known as behens Ki Baoli; transl. Baoli of Agrasen) is a 60-meter long and 15-meter wide historical stepwell in New Delhi, India.^[1]

Agrasen ki Baoli
Agrasen ki Baoli, in 2014
Type	Stepwell
Location	Hailey Road, Delhi, India
Coordinates	28°37′34″N 77°13′30″E
Built	1506; 519 years ago (1506)
Monument of National Importance
Official name	Uggar Sain's Baoli
Reference no.	N-DL-52

Located on Hailey Road,^[a][b] near Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, it was designated a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958.

Although there are no known historical records to prove who built the stepwell, it is believed that it was originally built by members of the Aggarwal community in the name of their ancestor Agrasen,^[3] and the present architecture hints at it being rebuilt in the 14th century during the Tughlaq or Lodi period of the Delhi Sultanate. The baoli is open daily from 9 am to 5:30 pm.

Toponymy

A baoli in Delhi from the book Oriental Scenery, 1816 resembling, Agrasen Ki Baoli.

Baoli or bawdi, also referred to as baori or bauri, is a Hindi word (from Sanskrit wapi^[4][5] or vapi, vapika).^[6][7] In Rajasthan and Gujarat the words for stepwell include baoli, bavadi, vav, vavdi and vavadi.^[8] Water temples^[9] and temple stepwells were built in ancient India. The earliest forms of stepwell and reservoir were also built in India in places like Dholavira as far back as the Indus Valley Civilisation.^[10]

Architecture

Panoramic view of Agrasen Ki Baoli

This baoli, with 108 steps, is among a few of its kind in Delhi. Three levels of the historic stepwell are visible. Each level is lined with arched niches on both sides. From an architectural perspective, this stepwell was probably rebuilt during the Tughlaq or Lodi period and is flanked by a small three-sided mosque towards the west.^[11] a very clear Persian-style architecture – bioclimatic architecture^{[clarification needed]}

In popular culture

The location has been used to shoot scenes from various Bollywood films, such as Kabhi Alvida na Kehna, Shubh Mangal Savdhan.^[12] Blockbuster film PK starring Aamir Khan and Sultan starring Salman Khan were also shot here. It was also featured in the 2017 Sridevi thriller Mom .^[13][14] The stepwell also appeared on the second episode of The Amazing Race Australia 2 in 2012.^[15]

There are also urban legends of the stepwell being haunted.^[16][17][18]

Gallery

• 
  Agrasen Ki Baoli is a popular tourist destination.
• 
  One of the many graffiti outside the monument

See also

• History of Delhi
  • Paleolithic sites in & around Delhi
  • Forts and palaces of Delhi used as the capital
  • Stepwells of Delhi
• Stepwells of India
  • Rani ki vav, UNESCO heritage listed
  • List of stepwells in India by states
• History of water supply and sanitation
  • Water supply and sanitation in the Indus-Saraswati Valley Civilisation
  • Ancient water conservation techniques

Notes

1. Named after administrator Malcolm Hailey.^[2]
2. The connecting road between Kasturba Gandhi Road and Barakhamba Road.