#patan

Rani Ki Vav ( The Queen's Stepwell ) is a stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujrat, India. It is located on the banks of the Saraswati River. Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, the spouse of the 11th-century Chaulukya king Bhima. Silted over, it was rediscovered in the 1940s and restored in the 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India. It has been listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India since 2014. The stepwell is designed as an underground shrine or inverted temple; representing the sanctity of water with the sculptures.

June 2013 KTM Kathmandu Nepal Patan

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Patan after dark—street sellers at the night market, a Buddha statue glowing under warm light, and a tiered temple framed against the night sky.