Amritsar to Agra: Baolis and Bridges

The arid stretches of India’s north incentivized the creation of stepwells (Baolis) to provide water security for the region’s populations. Today, the rich ornamentation and history of Baolis have emerged as a source of cultural and historical pride for the subcontinent, with sites like Rani Ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat, even earning a coveted selection as a UNESCO world heritage site. 

Mughal stepwells were predominantly built along an octagonal or circular well with a flight of steps descending to reach the water level, in much the same way they had been built for centuries prior, albeit with much more simplistic Mughal-style ornamentation and construction. While many of this era’s stepwells have fallen into ruin as they have in Sarai Amant Khan and Sarai Doraha, stepwells like those in Kaithal demonstrate a brick-centric construction adorned with simple designs seen in the presence of architectural motifs bearing pointed archways reminiscent of pishtaqs, themselves iconic of Mughal sites, rather than the intricately carved sandstone walls and pillars of Indigenous stepwells like those seen in Rani Ki Vav or Modhera. 

Deep water tanks were also constructed along the route for travelers, with some of the best-surviving examples seen in Raja Taal and Taraori. These storage-oriented tanks were primarily fed by collected rainwater or channels from nearby streams, and were better able to supply large caravans and local agriculture with fresh, much-needed water across the semi-arid stretches of road between Lahore and Agra. The Tanks were typically built in a large rectangular shape and surrounded by brick or stone walls, sometimes including steps(ghats) either surrounding the central tank or at the center of each side. Tanks and Stepwells were commonly found in the courtyard of or near Sarai complexes to provide drinking and bathing water for their guests, such as in Sarai Doraha in Ludhiana, Punjab.