The Birkha Bawari is a stepwell located in Jodhpur, India. [1] The structure is to designed to conserve water for use by the city of Jodhpur, and is built in the style traditional Indian stepwells. It was designed by Indian architect Anu Mridul and was paid for by the Essgee Group, a real estate firm based in Jodhpur. [2]
Stepwells were constructed to capture and hold rainwater for agricultural and domestic use. The water reserves stored by stepwells aided in conserving water during long periods of drought. [3] [4] Throughout its history, the city of Jodhpur was supplied with water from over 50 stepwells. [1] However, the introduction of low cost pumps and pipes rendered stepwells obsolete, and none were built after the 19th century. [5]
The Brikha Bawari was designed in the style of older stepwells. The stepwell was designed at the behest of the Essgee Group, a Jodhpur-based real estate firm, which envisioned a modern stepwell as a source of water for a new housing development it was constructing. The firm contracted Anu Mridul to design the modern stepwell. Construction on the building was finished in 2009, after which the stepwell began to be used as a water reservoir. [6] Mridul was awarded the All India Stone Architecture Award in 2009 for his design. [7] [2]
The stepwell is built of red sandstone, and is capable of holding 17.5 million liters of rainwater. [1] [2] The stepwell currently provides water for the Umaid Heritage Housing Township, a housing development built by the Essgee Group. [2]
The year 1929 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
Umaid Bhawan Palace, located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, is one of the world's largest private residences. A part of the palace is managed by Taj Hotels. It is named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owner, Gaj Singh. The palace has 347 rooms and is the principal residence of the former Jodhpur royal family. A part of the palace is not a residence
Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, a district of Delhi in India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurgaon and next to Vasant Kunj.
Stepwells are wells or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwell played a significant role in defining subterranean architecture in western India from 7th to 19th century. Some stepwells are multi-storeyed and can be accessed by a persian wheel which is pulled by a bull to bring water to the first or second floor. 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 construction of stepwells is mainly utilitarian, though they may include embellishments of architectural significance, and be temple tanks.
An irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size. They are mainly found in India. It can also have a natural or man-made spring included as part of a structure. Tanks are part of an ancient tradition of harvesting and preserving the local rainfall and water from streams and rivers for later use, primarily for agriculture and drinking water, but also for sacred bathing and ritual. Often a tank was constructed across a slope so to collect and store water by taking advantage of local mounds and depressions. Tank irrigation is practised by constructing mud banks across small streams to make a small reservoir which collect excess water during the rainy season.Tank use is especially critical in parts of South India without perennial rainfall where water supply replenishment is dependent on a cycle of dry seasons alternating with monsoon seasons.
The architecture of the Indian state of Rajasthan has usually been a regional variant of the style of Indian architecture prevailing in north India at the time. Rajasthan is especially notable for the forts and palaces of the many Rajput rulers, which are popular tourist attractions.
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex near Indian temples. They are called pushkarini, kalyani, kunda, sarovara, tirtha, talab, pukhuri, ambalakkuḷam, etc. in different languages and regions of India. Some tanks are said to cure various diseases and maladies when bathed in. It is possible that these are cultural remnants of structures such as the Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro or Dholavira, which was part of the Indus Valley civilization. Some are stepwells with many steps at the sides.
Joseph Stein was an American architect and a major figure in the establishment of a regional modern architecture in the San Francisco Bay area in the 1940s and 1950s during the early days of the environmental design movement. In 1952, he moved to India and in 1955 was tasked with the planning of Durgapur in West Bengal, India along with Benjamin Polk. He was commissioned with this task in order to facilitate the establishment of Durgapur Steel Plant later on in 1959 followed by the Durgapur Steel City and Township. He is noted for designing several important buildings in India, most notably in Lodhi Estate in Central Delhi, nicknamed "Steinabad" after him, and where today the 'Joseph Stein Lane', is the only road in Delhi named after an architect. He is also famous for being the architect of the scenic Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode's campus. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1992. His works remain even more relevant in the modern context as need for sustainable and humane architecture is felt.
Rani Ki Vav is a stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat state of India. It is located on the banks of Saraswati river. Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, daughter of Khengara of Saurashtra, queen and spouse of the 11th-century Chaulukya king Bhima I. Silted over, it was rediscovered in 1940s and restored in 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India. It has been listed as one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites since 2014.
Chand Baori is a stepwell situated in the village of Abhaneri in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It extends approximately 30m (100ft) into the ground, making it one of the deepest and largest stepwells in India.
Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, for both domestic and international tourists. Rajasthan attracts tourists for its historical forts, palaces, art and culture with its slogan "Padharo mhare desh", now its changed. Every third foreign tourist visiting India travels to Rajasthan as it is part of the Golden Triangle for tourists visiting India.
Adalaj Stepwell or Rudabai Stepwell is a stepwell located in the village of Adalaj, close to Gandhinagar city in Gandhinagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat, and considered a fine example of Indian architecture work. It was built in 1498 in the memory of Rana Veer Singh by his wife, Queen Rudadevi.
Badshapur is one of the 4 sub-division of Gurugram district of Haryana state, situated on the Gurugram-Sohna road (NH-248A). It is named after the Badshahpur Fort, which in turn was the abode of the wife of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Badshahpur is a part of Badshahpur assembly constituency of Haryana.
Sheila Sri Prakash is an architect and urban designer of Indian origin. She is the founder of Shilpa Architects and is the first woman in India to have started and operated her own architectural practice.
Bimal Hasmukh Patel is an architect from Gujarat, India, with over 35 years of professional, research and teaching experience in architecture, urban design and urban planning. He is President of CEPT University in Ahmedabad and leads HCP Design Planning and Management Private Limited, an architecture, planning and project management firm. He also founded Environmental Planning Collaborative, a not-for-profit, planning research and advocacy organization.
Morphogenesis is an Indian architectural firm founded by Manit Rastogi and Sonali Rastogi in 1996.
Benny Kuriakose was born in Kerala, India. He made his mark in architectural conservation and the design of new buildings, taking his roots from the vernacular architecture of South India. He is known for designing structures which are built from natural materials such as timber, stone and brick. He has practiced mostly in Chennai and Kerala. He runs a consultancy firm in Chennai.
The Shahjahan ki baoli, more commonly known as the Choron ki baoli, is a baoli in Maham, Haryana, India. The structure, which was built during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan, collects and holds rainwater for use by the nearby town of Maham. While no longer in mainstay use, the baoli has been persevered as a tourist attraction.
The Architecture of Gujarat consists of architecture in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Rajput architecture is a architectural style notable for the forts and palaces of the many Rajput rulers, which are popular tourist attractions, many of the Rajput forts are UNESCO World Heritage Site.