The Rani ki Vav, also known as the ‘Queen’s stepwell’, is in Patan, medieval capital of the Solanki (also known as the Chaulukya) empire, 125 km north from Ahmedabad. It was built in the third quarter of the 11th century by Queen Udayamati as a memorial to her husband, the Solanki king Bhīmadeva I.
The images of deities below are mostly from the third stage of the stepwell, on the third terrace. The incarnations of Viṣṇu progress from the wall facing south to the wall opposite, which also has images of Durga and Śiva.
These photographs were taken by Dr Kirit Mankodi for the Project for Indian Cultural Studies, Mumbai.
References
Kramrisch, Stella. 1993 [1981]. The Presence of Siva. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
