In Gujarat a stepwell is called a vav. Rani ki Vav was built in 1064 by Queen Udayamati in memory of her husband King Bhimadeva, in the hope that she would be reunited with him in heaven.
The stepwell was damaged by invaders, neglected, and completely buried by silt with the passage of time until the Archaeological Survey of India dug it out. Hundreds of finely carved statues are visible again, among them Kalki, the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu, on horseback with a sword and a dagger at his waist, and Mahishasur Mardini. The fine stone cutting, done with the tools of that time, is an eye-opener.
