Agrasen Ki Baoli, an ancient stepwell in Delhi, is set to undergo conservation work. The baoli, built in the Mahabharata era, is known for its unique design and has been featured in Bollywood movies like PK, Sultan, and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.
The conservation work is expected to begin in the next couple of months and will include desilting, flooring, and gap fillings. The last time desilting was done was almost 10 years ago.
The baoli is one of the finest in Delhi and measures 60 meters long north-south and 15 meters wide at the ground level. It is built with rubble and dressed stones and has a deep flight of steps going down to the well, flanked by a thick wall with two series of arched niches. The lower steps are partly under the water, and the upper ones are merely recessed from the surface.
Above the flight of steps on the west is a small mosque with a ‘whale-back’ roof and four pillared columns of red sandstone carved with chaitya-motifs and stucco medallions in spandrels.
The conservation work is expected to be completed within a year.
