Discovering the Hidden Gem of Delhi: Agrasen Ki Baoli

If you’d ask me for my favourite places in Delhi, the stepwell Agrasen ki Baoli would be in the top 5. There is hardly anyone who’s visited Delhi who I’ve not taken there. Surprisingly, many Delhiites are either not even aware of it or have simply not visited it. Incomprehensible!

It’s only 5 min away from Connaught Place, located on Hailey Road, and can be done within 10-15 min. Agrasen ki Baoli covers a rather small area: 60m long and 15m wide. You can climb down the steps and if you’re lucky and it’s not filled with water, you can even go fully inside. What I love about it is that it’s the perfect symbiosis of modern and ancient: looking down you see the beautiful stepwell, looking up the skyscrapers of CP.

Agrasen ki Baoli, with its 108 steps, is among a few of its kind in Delhi. Three levels of the historic stepwell are visible. Each level is lined with arched niches on both sides.

The current structure was built in the 14th century by the Agrawal community during the Tughlag or Lodi period of the Delhi Sultanate in India, which traces its origin to the legendary King Agrasen. It is believed that the original structure was built by king Agrasen during the Mahabharat epic era.

Earlier the lowest level was accessible but for some reason, it was closed when I came last in 2023. For those who’ve missed out on it (or are a bit claustrophobic), this is what it looks like down there. It’s basically just some rubble inside, nothing special really.

I’m kind of a fan of “baolis” and always make sure I don’t miss out on them during my travels. For those who don’t know the concept of stepwells:

They are known under many names: baoli, bawdi, vav, vavdi and some more. They are wells or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Some of them like multi-storeyed and can be accessed by a Persian wheel (a mechanical water lifting device) which is pulled by a bull to bring water to the first or second floor. They are most common in western India. Some of the most impressive ones I’ve seen so far are in Gujarat Ahmedabad, but also in Rajasthan (but a completely different style, a so-called step pond). The construction of stepwells is mainly utilitarian, though they may include embellishments of architectural significance, and can be temple tanks. A basic difference between stepwells on the one hand, and tanks and wells on the other, is that stepwells make it easier for people to reach the groundwater and to maintain and manage the well.

As mentioned before, I’ve been there so often and have taken pretty much everyone there who came for a visit. Going through pics for this post was pretty nostalgic and reminded me of some of my most precious moments in Delhi.

Some years back, there was one iconic and often Instagrammed wall art just in front of the entrance. Unfortunately, it’s not there anymore. Here’s a tribute.

Have I promised too much? It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it? 🙂 So if you are in Delhi, what are you waiting for? It takes maybe 30 min to visit when you’re at CP and you’ve made some amazing memories!

Opening times: 9 AM to 5:30 PM

Location: Hailey Road, close to Connaught Place, Delhi

Entry: Free

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us