Chand Baori at Abhaneri village which is located 94 kms away from the capital of Jaipur; is the most famous ancient stepwell of Rajasthan and is most visited stepwell in Rajasthan. It is named after King Raja Chanda of the Nikumbh Empire, from the Gujara Pratihara clan, who claimed to be the direct descendants of Lord Ram’s younger brother Laxman. The dynasty’s rule reached its zenith peak around 8th century around the time they built the well. The dynasty that ruled from 6th to the 10th century AD, and also ruled over other parts of Rajasthan with their capital at Mandore near Jodhpur.
Chand Boari was built from 8th century onwards, opposite to Harshat Mata Temple, a pilgrimage site that formed a complex together with the well. The temple located at a distance of 100 metres from the stepwell, was ravaged by Muhammad Gazni when he invaded India during 10th Century and is still in ruins till date. There are similarities in construction style and carvings with terraced temples of Mandore and Paranagar, however in all likelihood the well was constructed before the temples were built. The design and final structure of Chand Baori was done in a manner to conserve as much water as possible, because Rajasthan is an arid region with very hot summers with desert nearby.
The oldest parts of the step-well were built from the 8th century onwards around the presumed time of construction start. The boari has steps on three side and palace like rooms built on the fourth side for royals. While upper palace room portion was initially built by Chauhan rulers, later upper arcade was built around 18th Century during Mughal Era. Mughals rulers further embellished the upper levels of the well with pavilions and arcades with numerous jharokhas or windows, making it look more Islamic than Hindu. They also added art galleries and a retaining wall around the well. The upper palace like rooms with tabulated arches built by Chauhan rulers and cusped arches built by Mughal rulers are today blocked for tourists.
The unique architectural style which includes deep four-sided well with a large temple on the back face of the building, makes the well very popular with tourists coming to Rajasthan. A major attraction for both domestic and international tourists, all-around the year, the stepwell has 3500 narrow steps and astounding 13 storeys, extending around 30m or 100ft into the ground, making the well one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India as well as among the largest step wells in the world. Many tourists visit Chand Baori for its beautiful architecture of the deepest stepwell in India, which was built to serve as a source of water.
Chand Baori has featured in a string of Bollywood song and dance numbers including Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Paheli’ and Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. Abhaneri stepwell is a stepwell with “two classical periods of water building in a single setting”. The hug central water tank, can be reached with steps that look like an intricate criss-cross pattern that incorporates facets of a cut diamond. The interlinked stairways, gives the baori a sense of impossibly precise geometrical pattern. This impossible geometry ensures that at the bottom of stepwell, the water and air always remains’ 5-6°C cooler than what is at the surface on any given day.
Chand Baori also called Abhaneri Stepwell was used as a community gathering place by the local villagers in ancient times, even during periods of intense heat during daytime; to socialize as at its deepest point, it is lot cooler than surroundings. Although today its water is no longer used for drinking purposes as it is no longer fit. The stepwell is open to tourist from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm daily, with entry free for all. The state government since 2008, organizes two-day Abhaneri Festival, in nearby village of Dausa; which is held every year in October, and is visited by tourists from across the world. The locals engage stage a variety of folk performances like Ghoomar, Kalbeliya, Kachhi Ghodi, and others. Tourist can reach the baori from Jaipur to Sikandra, from Sikandra to Abhaneri with ease using taxi, jeep or bus.
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