Off the beaten track in the heart of New Delhi- Agrasen ki Baoli

Why did I Pick up this place?

In the recent past I was staying in New Delhi, India for work. Weekends normally would be quite boring, especially when staying away from family. Being an ardent traveller, I was always looking to make use of the weekend by planning a day trip. In fact, New Delhi was the Capital of the Mughals and had practically unlimited surprises for all travellers.

While browsing the internet researching my next destination in Delhi I accidentally stumbled upon an article on “Agrasen Ki Baoli”. This particular Baoli is believed to have been built by none other than Maharaja Agrasen also known as  Ugrasen, the descendant of Kush the Son of Lord Rama of Ramayana.

Lord Rama the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu was supposed to have lived in 10,000 BC. Although King Agrasen was the 35th descendant of this dynasty, it’s simply mind-blowing to imagine a historical structure surreptitiously present in the heart of the Indian capital! This fact  immediately made me sit up and take notice and one a Sunday morning, a day before the Independence day of India I decided to pay a visit

The journey

The beauty of Agrasen ka Baoli is that it is open to the public 365 days a year and operates between 9 AM- 530 PM. Practically the whole day was available and thus there was no pressing need on my part to change my Sunday schedule. Like most bonded corporate labourers I prefer to sleep as late as possible and then laze around with the newspaper in hand and the aroma of a freshly brewed Darjeeling tea in my nostrils

Practically, there was no pressing need to rush around and I kept it that way. After a good shower and a sumptuous Sunday breakfast of 2 Egg omelettes and 2 Bananas, I was ready for the occasion. I will not bore you by describing my journey as there was nothing of particular interest in it, except that I changed 2 trains from my house to reach the Barakhamba Metro station

Nevertheless, during the journey, I googled “What is a Baoli’? Among the hundreds of search results, I could decipher it is a Hindi word commonly heard in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to depict a Step well or mostly a Stepwell with a temple. My memory jogged across my various travel escapades and I recollected visiting Rani ka Baoli inside the Bada Imambara in Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Now I knew what to expect!

I came out of Gate# 3 of Barakhamba Metro station and opened the Google Maps app. It stated I was about 1.1 Km from my destination. Mentally, I was prepared to walk but on stepping out in the open, from the comfort of the air-conditioned Metro premises, I quickly decided against it. It took me 3 minutes to book an Uber auto and in another 6 minutes, I was in front of this historical magnificence.

Agrasen Ki Baoli

Maharaja Agrasen was a self-made man and was instrumental in creating a kingdom of traders called Agroha in Northern India. He was also known to champion the cause of avoiding the sacrifice of animals for Yajnyas. At a later point, on the suggestion of goddess Mahalakshmi, he gave up the Kshatriya tradition and opted for the Vaishya tradition.

The board in front of the Baoli stated that there is no historical evidence that it was built by Agrasen! The expectations to see a 10,000 years old structure was enormous and thus this board immediately passed on melancholy all over me. My logical mind, however, set to work to pacify my heart and insisted if it is still called by the name of Agrasen’s Baoli there has to be some truth to it

Suddenly, a young chap zipped past in a motorbike and I instinctively turned around to discover a beautiful wall painting in front of the to Baoli entrance. It was done quite artistically and aesthetically and indeed was a great location to shoot for Instagram reels. I would request my readers to watch my YouTube video to get a glimpse of it. Needless to say, please Like, Share and Subscribe to my Channel.

The board also stated that the Baoli was reconstructed by the Agarwal community and later by the Tughlaqs ( 14th Century) and the Lodhis ( 15th Century) and that is definitely practical coz Agrasen’s construction would not have lasted the test of time. The testimony of this claim is evident due to the presence of a mosque inside the Baoli premises.

Agrasen ki Baoli was primarily built as a water reservoir although there are articles suggesting it is a community gathering place. It is believed that women used to assemble at this well to relax in the cool ambience away from the scorching heat outside. The arched cubicles of the baoli were also used for various religious functions and ceremonies.

The dimension of the Baoli is 60 meters in length and 15 meters in width and its unique and ornate architectural style is a delight to photographers. . The whole structure is built out of rubble masonry, using an assortment of rocks and stones. It was not difficult to fathom why it is such a preferred destination for Bollywood. A few Bollywood blockbusters like PK, Sultan, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and the latest Subh Mangal Savdhan had scenes shot here.

A circular well exists at the northern end of this stepwell. It measures 8 meters in diameter and remains dry for most part of the year, except during the Monsoon. The well was shielded with an iron grill to prevent thrill-seekers from intentionally or accidentally becoming martyrs during peacetime.

The rectangular shape of the stepwell makes it stand out from the other baolis in Delhi that were built as round water reservoirs. Agrasen ki Baoli is among those few stepwells in Delhi that boast of a single-flight staircase. There are 108 steps across 3  levels of stepwell and each level is lined with arched niches on both sides. As I walked down from one level to the next I could experience a drop in temperature!

I would recommend to please try it out, although climbing back can make one pant for breath! But I guess that’s fine as it only helps in burning a few calories that we otherwise don’t get time to burn out!

There is also an urban legend that this Baoli is haunted and there are multiple reported incidents of people jumping into the well and dying. At present, the Baoli is closed to the public before sundown and thus it is impossible to verify these claims especially when the Ghosts seem to be visible only after dark!

Argasen/Ugrasen ki Baoli blends history, architecture, aesthetic beauty, and a touch of paranormal activities. At present time mostly young couples visit here to get some private time or inquisitive new age tourists looking for offbeat circuits. Thanks to Bollywood this stepwell has gained much attention and the guard told me that footfall has increased over the years.

The flipside is faster wear and tear due to high human intervention though it is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). I wish ASI can dig more about the history behind this Stepwell and help us understand whether it is a myth or reality that this splendid Stepwell was actually commissioned during the Agrasen’s era.

What to do next?

As mentioned earlier Delhi has multiple options and at times that can create a lot of confusion. It was pretty clear in my mind that I need to have a great heritage meal after visiting a heritage building. Thus I again boarded an Uber and landed up at Kwality hotel which is running since 1940. For my foreign readers let me remind you that India was independent of British rule on 15h August 1947.

The next day was the 75th Anniversary of Indian independence or Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Government of India decided to celebrate the 75 years of Independence of India, with a tribute to people instrumental in bringing India thus far in its journey, in the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.’ ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ means ‘Elixir of energy of independence. It is the initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence from the British Raj and the history of India’s people, culture and achievements. The commemoration is to be celebrated through a series of events organized by the Government of India.

 Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated the celebration on 12 March 2021 with a ‘padayatra’ (Freedom March) at Sabarmati ashram with a 75-week countdown to its 75th anniversary of independence and it will continue till 2023 ending on 15th August 2023.

It’s time for me to sign off and dig in my fingers to my delicious Indian meal that has arrived. I hope you will soon visit the Agrasen Ki Baoli, during your next trip to New Delhi. Cheers!