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Chand Baori : One of the Oldest and Largest Stepwells in India

Chand Baori is a stepwell located in Abhaneri village near Jaipur in Rajasthan. Abhaneri Village is a situated in the Dausa district of Indian State of Rajasthan at a distance of about 95 km from Jaipur, on the Jaipur-Agra Highway. Abhaneri was originally named Abha Nagri, which literally means “city of brightness”. However, due to mispronunciation, the name of the place got changed. Although the city is now in ruins, but it still manages to attract huge number of tourists from across the globe. Chand Baori is situated opposite to Harshat Mata Temple and was built in AD 800. Chand Baori consists of 3500 narrow steps over 13 stories which extends to approx. 30 m (100 ft) into the ground, which makes it one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India.

Chand Baori
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History

Chand Baori is known to be one of the oldest and most attractive landmarks in Rajasthan. It was constructed by King Chanda of the Chauhan Dynasty between AD 800 and AD 900 and was completely dedicated to Hashat Mata, Goddess of Joy and Happiness after its completion.

Chand Baori, Abhaneri, Rajasthan
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Rajasthan State falls short of rain every year, and the design and architecture of Chand Baori was made in a way to conserve as much water as possible. At the bottom of this stepwell, the air remains 5-6 degrees cooler as compared to the air on surface. Chand Baori was used as a place used for community gatherings for locals in the periods of excess heat. One side of this stepwell has a pavilion and resting room for the royals.

Architecture

Chand Baori, Abhaneri

The steps surround the well on 3 sides while the 4th side has a set of pavilions that are built one atop another. The side of the stepwell that has the pavilions have niches with extremely beautiful sculptures which include religious carvings. You will also find a royal residence with rooms which were made for the King and the Queen and a stage used for performing arts.

Movies Shot at Chand Baori

Chand Baori was also featured in the hollywood movies like ‘The Fall’ and also made a special appearance in Christopher Nolan’s popular movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

Entry Fee

There is no Entry Fee to visit the Step Well.

Timings

10 am to 5 pm

Address

Abhaneri Village, Jaipur-Agra Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302001 India.

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About Anirudh Singh

Anirudh Singh is a passionate blogger and the man behind Amazing India Blog. He has 5 years of experience in the newspaper industry and he founded Amazing India Blog in 2015. Apart from writing and editing articles on Travel, Business and Technology at Amazing India Blog, he also contributes to other well known newspapers and online news blogs.