Girl in the Stepwell - India
Sometimes I’m lucky enough to stumble upon a unique photo opportunity. One where I find a subject alone without the maddening crowd… this is that moment. A girl, alone with her thoughts. Stepwell - Old Delhi, Oct 2018.
Stepwells are cisterns with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in India from 7th to 19th century. They are most common in western India and are also found in the other more arid regions of the Indian subcontinent, extending into Pakistan.
The first Stepwells developed in India date from 200 to 400 AD. The stepwells were built to cope with the seasonal fluctuations in water availability. Stepwells made it easier for people to reach the groundwater and to maintain and manage the well.
The builders dug deep trenches into the earth for dependable, year-round groundwater. They lined the walls of these trenches with blocks of stone and created stairs leading down to the water. This led to the building of some significant ornamental and architectural features, often associated with dwellings in urban areas. It also ensured their survival as monuments.
A stepwell structure consists of two sections: a vertical shaft from which water is drawn and the surrounding inclined subterranean passageways and the chambers and steps which provide access to the well. The galleries and chambers surrounding these wells were often carved profusely with elaborate detail and became cool, quiet retreats during the hot summers.
(Canon PowerShot G1X Mark III, 1/80 @ f/5.6, ISO 100, edited to taste)
Girl in the Stepwell - India
Sometimes I’m lucky enough to stumble upon a unique photo opportunity. One where I find a subject alone without the maddening crowd… this is that moment. A girl, alone with her thoughts. Stepwell - Old Delhi, Oct 2018.
Stepwells are cisterns with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in India from 7th to 19th century. They are most common in western India and are also found in the other more arid regions of the Indian subcontinent, extending into Pakistan.
The first Stepwells developed in India date from 200 to 400 AD. The stepwells were built to cope with the seasonal fluctuations in water availability. Stepwells made it easier for people to reach the groundwater and to maintain and manage the well.
The builders dug deep trenches into the earth for dependable, year-round groundwater. They lined the walls of these trenches with blocks of stone and created stairs leading down to the water. This led to the building of some significant ornamental and architectural features, often associated with dwellings in urban areas. It also ensured their survival as monuments.
A stepwell structure consists of two sections: a vertical shaft from which water is drawn and the surrounding inclined subterranean passageways and the chambers and steps which provide access to the well. The galleries and chambers surrounding these wells were often carved profusely with elaborate detail and became cool, quiet retreats during the hot summers.
(Canon PowerShot G1X Mark III, 1/80 @ f/5.6, ISO 100, edited to taste)