The Agrasen Ki Baoli - An Ancient Stepwell Hidden In The Heart Of Delhi
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The Indian capital of Delhi is a city steeped in history. Delhi boasts ancient architecture and has a vibrancy of culture that only comes with a truly massive population. From its early beginnings, Delhi has had a turbulent history, with different dynasties and empires striving to take power. Just like its history, the climate and geography of Delhi is a story of extremes. With heavy rains during the monsoon seasons and intense heat during the dry season, Delhi faces a yearly battle with its weather.
Throughout history, as the dry season intensifies, the waterways of India would dry up and shortages of water would occur. To combat this, huge stone stepwells were built as a way to provide a water source to civilian populations all year round. These stone stepwells were built in areas prone to water shortages and droughts, and were built to help store the large amount of water that fell during the monsoon season.
The stepwells or baoli in Hindi, all follow a similar design. Constructed of stone, the stepwells all have a large reservoir at the bottom. This big pool is then surrounded by steep stepped walls that rise up on either one or all sides. During the wet season, the large pool at the bottom of the well fills with rainwater. When the rainy season stops and the dry season arrives, the collected water would be shaded by the surrounding walls and could then be used by the local population for both drinking and irrigation.
The Agrasen Ki Baoli is a perfect example of a preserved stepwell hidden in the centre of the Indian capital.
What is the Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell?
The Agrasem Ki Baoli Stepwell (also known as the Ugrasen Ki Baoli), is a large, historical stepwell hidden in a narrow street just off of Hailey Road in the centre of New Delhi.
The baoli stretches out in a long thin rectangular shape and measures 60 metres long and 15 metres wide. The well has been built over three levels, with each level having arches carved out of the stone. At the shorter end of the well, 108 stone steps lead down to the pool at the bottom.
Archaeologists cannot agree on an age for the stepwell, but most place it to have been built somewhere in the 14th century.
Nowadays the baoli is protected by The Archaeological Survey of India and is a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike trying to escape the intense heat of Delhi, and to get “that'' Instagram shot.
More recently, the stepwell has also been used as a filming location. With the backdrop of the step well being featured in the Bollywood films PK and Sultan, as well as many more!
The stepwell is also rumoured to be haunted, although we can report that when we visited we didn’t see any unusual ghostly apparitions! The only other creatures we saw was the army of pigeons who have made the stepwell their home.
Our experience of visiting - what to expect
As you arrive outside the thick stone wall of the Agrasen Ki Baoli, it's hard to imagine the scale of the stepwell inside. The entrance to the well is a small stone archway cut out of one of the longer sides. As you climb through, you’re immediately stood in a vast stone cavern. Standing near to the top of the well, huge stone steps fan down to a deep, black pool of water at the bottom. It’s breathtaking!
The sides of the well are just as impressive with huge stone archways bathed in a combination of golden sunlight and shadow, carved out of the thick yellow stone. It’s a mesmerising sight and we just stood in awe trying to take it all in.
Once you’ve got all the photos you could want from the top of the stepwell, we’d recommend heading down the stone steps to the water's edge. At the bottom, crouch down and take a moment to look up at the steep walls that surround the pool of water. It’s an incredible monument, with an important purpose.
We wondered how much deeper this would go if it dried up?
Once you’ve climbed back up make sure you take a look at the small stone mosque built just behind the entrance.
How much are tickets?
Entry to the stepwell is completely free.
Unlike a lot of other tourist sights in Delhi, the stepwell is free for everyone, both for Indian Nationals and visiting foreigners.
When you arrive, just walk through the archway and head up the stone steps to reach the interior of the Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell.
What time is the Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell open?
The Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell is open everyday from 9:00am in the morning until 17:30 pm. As with all tourist attractions, the stepwell can get very busy from mid morning and throughout the afternoon so we’d recommend getting up early and planning a visit as soon as the stepwell opens its gates.
Visiting early in the morning would also mean that you would avoid the worst of the sunshine and Delhi’s extreme heat. As the stepwell has been used in a few films, the site is extremely popular, so if you can, try and plan a visit on a weekday rather than a weekend.
It’s hard to get the scale of the stepwell from the photos, but there were a lot of steep steps to climb!
How to get to the Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell?
The easiest way to get to the Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell is to take a rickshaw. Either flag one down from the street and negotiate a price, or, if you have an Indian sim, request a rickshaw via the Uber or Ola app.
If you’re using Delhi’s metro, the nearest stations are Barakhamba Road on the Blue metro line or Janparth metro station on the Violet metro line. From both these stations it's a short 10 minute walk or a 5 minute rickshaw ride away.
For those using Delhi’s buses, the nearest stop is the Max Mueller Bhawan bus stop which serves routes 440, 996, 894 and 450. Just check out the up to date departure times for this stop on GoogleMaps.
When you come to leave the stepwell there will be plenty of rickshaw drivers waiting outside to drive you to wherever you need to go next.
Can I get a guide at the stepwell?
Unfortunately there are no guides available at the stepwell itself, however if you’d like a guided experience of the stepwell, why not book yourself a private tour with a tuk tuk driver and guide.
Check out this tour from Get Your Guide who offer a full or half day guided tours throughout Delhi taking in some of the most famous historic sights.
What else is there to do in the area?
The stepwell is only a short walk away from Connaught Place, an upmarket shopping area full of restaurants, cafes, clothes and electronic shops. The streets of Connaught Place spiral out and encompass a large green, circular park. We’d recommend heading here if you’re looking to update your travel wardrobe, or looking for somewhere to get some Western delicacies. With branches of Starbucks, Dominoes and McDonald’s there’s plenty of home comforts for you to munch on! If you’re in Connaught Place, make sure you don’t miss the underground market of Palika Bazaar located just underneath Connaught Place.
From Connaught Place you can easily walk to the Jantar Mantar - an observatory, within a green park, which showcases 13 huge stone astronomical instruments.
Just south from the Agrasen Ki Baoli Stepwell, is Delhi’s famous India Gate. Surrounded by well maintained lawns, this imposing arched monument commemorates the Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War.
Further afield, if you’re looking to see some more of Delhi’s historical sights, why not check out the Red Fort, the Qutab Minnar complex, Safdarjung’s Tomb or Humayan’s Tomb.
If you’ve had your history fix for the day, why not head to one of Delhi’s hidden green oases such as the Lodhi Garden, Hauz Khas district and Deer Park or the Sunder Nursery.
All the attractions listed above are only a short rickshaw ride away, and being Delhi the prices for a ride will not be expensive.
Are there any other stepwells in Delhi?
Yes, lots!
Why not check out the following stepwells:
- Baoli RK Puram (location)
- Dwarka Baoli (location)
- Rajon Ki Baoli (location)
- Warzipa Tomb (location)
The stepwells listed above are just a few of the wells that are located close to Delhi, however stepwells can be found all over India. The more famous stepwells can be found in the northern states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Where to stay in Delhi?
The Indian capital has accommodation choices for every kind of budget. From the dorm savvy to the upmarket 5 star resorts there’s something for everyone.
We’d recommend a stay in Zostel Delhi which is only a short ten minute rickshaw ride (depending on traffic) away from the stepwell. With comfy private en-suite rooms, cafe and rooftop lounging area, Zostel Delhi had everything a backpacker could want. You can read more about our stay here.
If you’d prefer to stay elsewhere, check out the map below for all the accommodation choices available within a short drive of the stepwell.
For those looking for a little bit of luxury within the Indian capital, then why not check out a possible stay at The Imperial or the Shangri-La Eros New Delhi. Both of which are 5-star hotels and are both only a short drive away from the stepwell and Connaught Place.
Conclusion
The Agrasen Ki Baoli is a fascinating ancient Delhi site steeped in history. If you're looking for a free thing to do and looking to see an incredible piece of architecture, then the baoli is well worth a visit. We loved the design of the well, with the steep steps leading to the large pool. It was a piece of architecture that was beautiful, but also had been an essential part of life in Old Delhi.
The stepwell is relatively small in terms of the time you need to spend visiting it, so you could easily add a visit as part of a fuller day out in Delhi. In fact, after our early morning visit to the stepwell, we went on to visit Connaught Place, the Jantar Mantar and the Lodhi Gardens. All this before a late lunch!
We loved our time visiting this step well and can’t wait to see others in India. Let us know in the comments which Indian stepwells have been your favourite to visit!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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If you’re heading to Delhi or are already there and looking for more things to do, then why not check out our other Delhi guides!
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If you’re looking for something different to do in Delhi, check out the National Railway Museum. This open air train yard is stuffed full of engines, exhibits, turntables and carriages and is a great day out or adults and children alike! Read our guide for all the information you need for visiting this train filled wonderland.