The Rajon Ki Baoli, which once provided a cool summer retreat to passers-by, stands as a ramshackle monument in one of the oldest places of Delhi, finds out Samiksha Raj
It is rightly said: “Truth is much stranger than fiction.” I recently got to experience this firsthand while venturing into the marvellous lanes of history. Only difference, I found truth to be not only stranger but also more effusive. I was walking along the bylanes of Mehrauli Archaeological Park in search of Delhi’s lost stepwells (baolis), passing by the many stony remnants of tombs and a few houses with sundry goats and hens running about when my trail was halted by this ASI board, declaring ‘Protected Monument’. Intrigued, I took a step closer — a rusty old gate and a crumbling stone boundary wall cordoned off a step-well that had lain there for centuries. Suddenly, a passer-by informed me that it was the Rajon Ki Baoli. I was all but astonished at the sprawling premises, the architectural details and magnificence of this historical monument of ‘national importance’ which now lies in a state of desertion and neglect with a little plastering and painting in the name of restoration. However, amidst the broken and discoloured walls, cracks and crevices, I could still feel that the Rajon ki Baoli was simply grand.
As history tells us, this three-storeyed stepwell was built by Daulat Khan during the reign of Sikandar lodi in 1516. ‘Rajon’, in Rajon Ki Baoli, does not mean ‘kings’, but ‘masons’, perhaps a group of masons who used this stepwell for sometime during those years. It isn’t one of the deepest of baolis — it only consists of three long flights of broad steps leading down to the water. This is, however, one of Delhi’s most beautiful baolis. The entire complex is subterranean and the entire structure unfolds itself as you walk towards the stairs leading down to the ground water. Each level of this baoli is lined with arched niches with carvings and rooms to accommodate perhaps the masons, locals and caravan traders during those times. The baoli complex also houses a 12-pillared tomb typical of lodi era architecture along with a mosque which could be reached through the flight of around forty broad steps up from the baoli. The arches along the entire arcade of Raja Ki Baoli house some exquisite plasterwork, carvings of traditional motifs and Urdu inscriptions, distinctive of the lodhi era, on their walls and dome-shaped ceilings. As the baoli was not just meant to act as a source of water, but also as a place of rest for the thirsty travellers, the mosque with finely incised designs and the small cells surrounding this water reservoir were used as rooms for rest and siestas by the passers-by. In addition, there’s also a small tomb in the form of a chhatri (a domed pavilion). This, according to an inscription, was built possibly by Daulat Khan, for a certain Khwaja Mohammad in 1506. The topmost level of the baoli also has an extremely deep but dry well, which is now covered to avoid any mishaps. The rectangular shape, symmetrical arches of the arcade and incised plasterwork only add to the beauty of this stepwell, shadowed by the sands of time.
As I walked around, climbed up and alighted the umpteen flights of stairs distributed at the various corners around the Raja Ki Baoli, I experienced an eerie silence throughout, disturbed occasionally by the noise of aeroplanes flying above. The mosques, the cells, the chhatri and yes, the baoli, lie in deep slumber. Wander around and you’ll be greeted by mute walls and empty corridors. The stepwell itself is almost dry and whatever little water can been seen in the shaft below has garbage, dry leaves and plastic pouches floating in it. The baoli which was constructed for the welfare of people is now home to a flock of pigeons or a place for youngsters staying in that area who while away their afternoons playing cards or listening to music inside the arches. Despite this, the structure has managed to retain its dignity. It definitely remains etched as one of the most beautiful baolis in the history of Delhi and a heritage monument.
It really felt nice to find out such an intricately embellished truth — the truth of archaeological beauty personified — one which seems half-baked in books or through knowledge shared on the Internet.