Seven-storey deep stepwell discovered among bushes In Vasad

Vadodara: For nearly five centuries it lay buried below the earth away from the human settlement. On Friday, a unique ‘vaav' (step-well), which has a blend of Indo-Islamic architecture, will see the light of the day and breathe the fresh air.
All thanks to a city-based stepwell expert Kakoli Sen who discovered the vaav, which is around 45 foot deep and 16 feet wide.
She has organised an audio-visual presentation narrating the vaav's story on Thursday.
Sen tracked down the long lost stepwell nestled amid the open fields in Vasad village around 24 km from Vadodara. "It was covered by thick bushes and soil from all sides with just a small portion of its upper structure visible. Even the residents of Vasad had no idea about this step-well's existence. I had learnt about the vaav during my research and decided to rescue it," Sen, who has done research on ‘Step-wells of Gujarat' after getting a senior fellowship from the Union ministry of culture, told TOI.
"One of the first challenges was to clean the thick shrubs and plants around the step-well and look for the door. The local administration chipped in and after some days of work, we finally managed to get a good view of the vaav. To my surprise, it has a very narrow entry door unlike other step-wells," Sen said.
When stepped inside the vaav for the first time, she couldn't believe her eyes. "It goes seven-storeys below the ground level and it has helical steps that spiral downwards. The vaav is made from bricks and limestone. And, it has 11 spacious rooms on different floors, made probably as a resting place for travellers. It's a fascinating example of ancient architecture," Sen added.
The mystical vaav also has an interesting folklore. "It's said that a mystic had nocturnal visions of submerged treasure in the vaav so he travelled all the way to this step-well. After years of his devotion, a five-headed serpent guardian emerged from the vaav's waters to protect the wealth concealed below. And, hence the step-well is still protected," Sen said and added that a dome of Islamic architectural style was built on the vaav later.