Niches: Stepwell of Borsad

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Two souls embarked on an expedition to unravel the mysteries hidden within a dramatically lit ruin, slowly succumbing to darkness. The idea behind this haunted monument was to reveal to everyone the unseen force lurking in the abyss. This irony is perhaps why people over time have left it untouched, like an old lady. She, the queen, descended into the depths to witness something colorless and transparent. The distortion of surfaces and volume made its presence known, a fluid indeed. It served as a boon to people, no wonder they had to dig deeper to discover it. Their devotion towards the free-flowing spirit led them to create spaces for recreation rather than merely suspending a bucket above it to draw the elixir up. The stacking of floors elevated the maker, owner, ruin, and water, rendering it majestic. Maybe this was why the two souls found their inquisitiveness trapped deep beneath the water's surface. Their concerns were largely focused on the surfaces they clicked and attempted to recreate to inform others about the existence of a holy entity representing the shrine itself. Or maybe the elements, the niches they captured in their camera, served as a depiction. Either way, the significance of these niches lay in the intricate carving showcasing life blooming, not the life of ruin but its pride in itself that nothing such can ever enter the minds of today's fools. For one niche, the structure of life was disentangled as if the frame provided to it wasn't sufficient. In contrast, for another one, ornamentation flourished like a tree and birds sat upon it pleasantly. Both, however, donned equally detailed crowns. The thriving twigs were framed using columns, each with their own crown, and one on each side uniquely crafted. God forbid if the shrine were to perish one day just as the old lady did, it would be the two souls or many from the realm of fools who would speak about it repeatedly. This is the difference between the devotion of the old king towards the ruin or the lady and the devotion of the fools towards the same. Kings created glory but fools declared that it was glorious. The Stepwell of Borsad, constructed in 1497 by Vasu Soma and his family, stands as a seven-story structure with 13 arches and numerous decorative niches, including these ones. Scanned by Neel Mewada & Divyarajsinh Rana, narrated by Vishwa Undaviya.