Jun 24, 2013

Agrasen ki Baoli – a lesser known heritage in heart of Delhi.

 If we ask a common tour guide to list heritage sights in Delhi, it is a rare possibility that he will inform us about this one. Perfectly hidden from view, surrounded by towers, yet just around the corner from heart of Delhi Connaught place, Agrasen ki Baoli is one of many heritage sights that is lesser known to people.

What – Baoli

Where – Hailey road

Why – a heritage sight and an architectural piece from history that you rarely come across.

A short walk from Barakhamba metro station and walk inside the Hailey road till you come across the baoli.

For people who do not know what Baoli means, it is an architectural marvel of creating a step well in the regions which are known for lower ground water in the times when there weren’t any motors.  As deep as upto 200 stairs, the lower staircases of a baoli would be immersed in ground water. Depending on the season, water level would go up or down. Some baolis also had immersed temples.

If you travel to Rajasthan and Gujarat, it is common to find many such baolis, but in the capital city of our nation, it’s a rare sight. Agrasen ki baoli is a small sized baoli as per standard but it is worth a visit on a pleasant morning.

I visited the place on a Sunday morning in winters and the place was completely deserted. It being very rare to not find people on a heritage sight, the experience was pleasant and memorable.
(Picture credit: Wikipedia, for more on the site visit  -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrasen_ki_Baoli)

6 comments:

  1. even i was unaware of it .. thanks for sharing it .. :) definitely we people needs lots of education when it comes to knowing our own culture and heritage !

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  2. Ankur, many of us are...the place was introduced to me by a friend.

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  3. Delhi mein Baoli,never heard of it glad you shared..

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  4. Interesting. It looks like a Mahal not a well though. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Good one. It is one of the lesser known historical structures in Delhi, this step-well is believed to date back to the era of the Mahabharata. Check out more about Agrasen ki baoli.

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