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From afar they resemble a building creation that escaped the Minecraft world given their blocky structure. Stepwells are wells differentiated by their ease of access through many downward steps accompanied by artistic construction. Being historical pieces of architecture, they are spread out among the arid lands of India, Pakistan and some parts of South East Asia. In places where water is nonexistent at some times while abundant in others, stepwells prove their worth. In their prime they were recreational resting grounds for travelers and workers on a hot day, as well as a place for social gatherings and religious ceremonies according to Wikipedia.
India’s climate varies because of the different elevations that expand through the country and rain water per year. High up in the Himalayas the low air pressure creates for a cold atmosphere. While in south India near the Bay of Bengal, temperatures in the summer like that of last month reached half of water’s boiling point (50oC). Stepwells are spread across the semi-arid lands where most of the precipitation arrives from sudden cloudbursts. Rain can occur continuously for a week then never again the whole year.
Builders would dig a deep trench into the earth for the yearly rain. It was accompanied by steps and walls of stone. The masonry became more complex as the years went on consisting pavilions, several stories and roofs for shade. In desert-like times it would be a labyrinth being filled with storage before it became flooded with water for a few floors down.
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The resourceful despite simple design lasted for a millennium, the earliest built near the 7th century. However many constructions from that time have crumbled to erosion and weather factors. The ones that still stand today are from 800 years ago and have become tourist attractions. Not for the water but for the architecture. Stepwells have been cast aside with the introduction of pump systems by the British Raj nearing the 19th century. Communities residing near have neglected the wells as heaps of trash and plastic clutter the halls. After rain falls the uncared water it is still and stagnant, becoming breeding places of mosquitoes, bacteria and algae.
The importance of stepwells have risen due to demand through India’s increasing population and the scarcity clean water has become. Stepwells that are still standing today will continue to do so if maintained properly and can withstand an earthquake up to 7.0 on the Richter scale. Water is important to India as is culture and history.
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http://www.archdaily.com/395363/india-s-forgotten-stepwells
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepwell
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ancient-stepwells-india
