ACs of the older times.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

There are many baolis in Delhi, but two of these old stepwells embody distinct responses to the summer season, and to the way our city remembers, or forgets, its old edifices.

One is Agrasen ki Baoli. The other is Gandhak ki Baoli.

One has become a popular hangout. The other remains a secretive refuge. Both are easily accessible, tucked beside busy roads. One sits in the central sprawl of the city, near the office towers of Barakhamba Road and KG Marg. The other lies in the southern parts, near the medieval tower of Qutub Minar.

One is frequently photographed; it has been framed by Raghu Rai’s lens and has also appeared in an Aamir Khan film. The other remains largely unseen.

Agrasen ki Baoli descends through 104 stone steps, flanked by chambers and arched niches. All day long, a colony of pigeons rise and settle in sweeping waves, breaking the silence with their gurgling.

In earlier centuries, baolis were structures of practical necessity. They were water reservoirs, and seasonal refuges from the heat. Before ACs and coolers, at least some residents of Delhi may have routinely retreated into these stepwells to escape the worst of summer. As water levels would recede during the hotter months, people would descend deeper down the steps in search of cooler air.

It is said that Agrasen ki Baoli held water until 2002. Boys swam there. Lovers dropped coins into the water, praying for lasting commitments. Now it is mostly dry. One afternoon this year, just before summer set in, foreign tourists sat scattered across the steps in small clusters. Fragments of French and Italian drifted through the stone corridors.

The descent at Gandhak ki Baoli is less theatrical than at Agrasen ki Baoli. Believed to have been built 800 years ago by Sultan Iltutmish, it is considered Delhi’s oldest surviving stepwell. This hot afternoon, the water’s surface shows no motion, and is carpeted entirely in green with what looks like moss. Neem leaves from the surrounding trees are also dispersed upon it. Whatever the case, the water does not look clean enough to contemplate even dipping a finger into. Yet centuries ago, it was said to be rich in sulphur, giving the baoli a reputation as a healing site, and its name as well.

At this moment, beside the steps of Gandhak ki Baoli, one citizen is asleep along the edge of the well, while another is staring at his mobile screen. The world seems at peace. See photo.