Headline : Shining a spotlight on forgotten heritage of stepwells in Gujarat

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A unique seven-storey brick-and-lime plastered subterranean well with a long corridor of steps descending through the dramatic arches and a Banyan tree standing tall — what was once a lifeline of locals, a stepwell on the Asoj-Savli Road has faced neglect for a long time like most structures of its kind.

Popularly known as the Asoj Vav (literally meaning stepwell), a performance here about a week ago shone a spotlight on the heritage of the structure. Vadodara-based visual artist Kakoli Sen, who has been working on creating awareness and advocating the restoration of the stepwells across Gujarat, encapsulated the story that needed to be told in her November 23 performance.

The stepwell is believed to have been built by Rabari Aso — from a group of banjaras (wanderers) — over 500 years ago. Sen weaved a story around the rudimentary architecture where the banyan tree adds an element of uniqueness. Light, music and dance brought alive the story of Asoj Vav.

Asoj is another in her series of over a dozen performances at stepwells across Gujarat. In Vadodara, Sen has, so far, organised the visual shows for stepwells in Navlakhi, Sevasi, Koyali, Hanumant Vav in Bhayli and Asoj, along with the Adalaj stepwell in Ahmedabad. Sen decided to bring alive the Vavs through her stories as an extension of the project titled “Soul of the Vav” of the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society’s ‘Maps for Change’ project.

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