The Baolis of Delhi Project - Speaking Archaeologically

Baolis of Delhi

It was in December 2019 when few members of the Speaking Archaeologically Delhi Research Wing stumbled across the Rajon ki Baoli and Gandhak ki Baoli. Initially a part of primary research for a paper, the site visit unearthed issues that, if left unaddressed, will surely push these baolis into oblivion forever. Immediately the members embarked upon a quest for exploring all the baolis in Delhi which ultimately culminated into the Baolis of Delhi project. Once amounting up to approximately 100 in number, presently only 14- 15 baolis exist in Delhi. Out of these, only a few are designated Protected Monuments. These step wells suffer from a lack of adequate documentation and have remained invisible in the memories of the people. The project, “Baolis of Delhi”, was envisaged with the aim of rescuing the baolis from obscurity and putting them back on the map again. The aim of this project was to carefully observe and document each of the currently existing Baolis in Delhi and to bring out the lost stories that these sites might have held. Videos and photos of the baolis were taken; site reports and illustrations were made; and interviews were also conducted. In addition to the site covers, other sources were also consulted and an attempt was made to piece together the various bits of information together to form a comprehensive history of the sites.

Digitizing the baolis and making them easily accessible to everyone from all across the country was at the heart of this project. The information and awareness regarding the Baolis in Delhi were disseminated through videos on YouTube as well as blogs of the respective site covers. The creation of a digital archive in such a manner made it possible to share the history of the step well, its location, architecture, present state and issues with a wider audience. Around eight baolis have been covered under this project till now, with the first video being released on 20th December 2019. The step wells that were covered include Rajon ki Baoli, Ugrasen ki Baoli, Purana Qila Baoli, Hazrat Nizamuddin ki Baoli, Red Fort Baoli, Ridge or Hindu Rao Baoli, Loharheri Baoli and Baoli of Meherban Agha’s Mandi, Arab ki Sarai. Each of these sites has differing issues ranging from poor preservation of the structure to increased urbanization, animal threat to, perhaps the greatest of all, the site being unknown to public. The research conducted through the course of the project pointed out to the fact that some of these step wells also had the potential to made functional again and, perhaps, aid in the sustainable consumption of water in the city.

Unfortunately, the project had to be put on hold abruptly in April 2020 owing to the COVID- 19 outbreak. Firoz Shah Kotla Baoli, Munirka Baoli, Baolis at Tughlaqabad, Anangtal Baoli and Wazirpur Baoli are some of the Baolis that are yet to be covered and documented under this project. The project hopes to bring conservationists, archaeologists, heritage and history buffs as well as the concerned authorities together in a collaborative effort in order to make the process of conservation of these sites and unraveling of their history more enriching. It is hoped that the project would make these baolis transition from just being merely ruins or lesser-known sites to places which would still continue to be alive and important in the socio-cultural landscape.

Baolis of Delhi

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