Deep Dive: Madhya Pradesh To Revive Centuries-Old Stepwells; Bhopal’s Iconic Bawdi To Shed Its Scars
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): All the 100-year-old or older stepwells (bawdis) located in Madhya Pradesh will be conserved. The work of survey and listing has been completed in 16 districts and the conservation work of heritage stepwells has been launched in five districts.
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Bawdis are wells or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. These were extensively used in the olden times as sources of water.
Some are multi-storeyed and include a Persian wheel (rahat) which is pulled by a bullock to bring water to the first or second floor. According to estimates, there are around 500 stepwells in the state and their conservation is underway in Bhopal, Raisen, Rajgarh, Sehore and Rewa district.
In Bhopal, the biggest and the oldest bawadi has been selected for conservation. It is a part of the 175-year-old memorial to Raja Khushvakht Rai Saxena, the first Prime Minister of Bhopal princely state.
The memorial, which has been designated as a state-protected monument, is made of red sandstone. Carved stones line the stepwell, which has natural sources of water. It is damaged at many places.
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