India is a country with many old and beautiful buildings. One amazing example is the stepwells in North India. These stepwells were built a long time ago to collect rainwater, especially in dry areas like deserts. They also helped people stay cool during the hot summer.
One of the most famous stepwells is Chand Baori, also known as the Abhaneri Stepwell, which is in the state of Rajasthan, near Jaipur. It is one of the biggest stepwells in the whole world!
Chand Baori is very special because of how it is built. It has 13 levels and many steps that go deep down into the ground. The design is very neat and has pretty patterns. There are also small rooms, windows, and balconies around it.
When you look down from the top, you can see green water at the bottom, and the stone steps look beautiful around it. When the sun shines, the light and shadows on the steps make it look even more magical. That’s why many photographers love to take pictures here.
Chand Baori is so famous that many movies have been filmed there. Some of them are Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhoomi, The Fall, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and The Dark Knight Rises with Batman!
Today, the Archaeological Survey of India takes care of Chand Baori to keep it safe for people to visit and enjoy.
History Of Chand Baori
Chand Baori is very old much older than the Taj Mahal, the Chola Temples, and even the Khajuraho Temples! It was built about 1200 to 1300 years ago, around the 8th or 9th century CE, by a king named Chand Raja. He was part of the Pratihara dynasty, a royal family that ruled long ago. King Chand Raja also believed he was from the family of Lakshman, who was the younger brother of Lord Rama from the story of Ramayana.
The village where Chand Baori is located is now called Abhaneri, but in ancient times, it was known as Abha Nagari. The stepwell was named Chand Baori after King Chand himself.
Later, in the 18th century, when the Mughals ruled parts of India, some more parts were added to the stepwell—like the tall pavilions, arcades (a kind of covered walkway), and art galleries. We don’t know exactly who built these new parts, but the beautiful designs on the walls look like Mughal-style art.
Today, Chand Baori is one of the world’s oldest and most beautiful stepwells, and it tells a great story of India’s history!
Chand Baori Ticket price (Entry fee)
Entry Fee: There is no entry fee – it’s free for everyone!
Chand Baori Timings
| Day | Timings |
| Monday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
| wednesday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
| Thursday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
| Friday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
| Saturday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
| Sunday | 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm |
Visiting Hours: You can visit Chand Baori from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM every day.
The Amazing Design of Chand Baori
Chand Baori is a beautiful and smartly designed stepwell. It is shaped like a square with steps going down on three sides and a big building, called a pavilion, on the fourth side.
The steps go down to a depth of about 19.5 meters, arranged in a special triangle-like pattern. There are about 3,500 steps across 13 levels that take you all the way to the bottom, where the water is stored.
The pavilion building has many floors with small windows called jharokhas from where people could look at the stepwell. The bottom part of the pavilion has small spaces that hold stone statues and carvings of gods and goddesses.
Inside the pavilion, there is a big room with a stage. This room was likely used by kings and queens to watch music and dance shows. There is also another room that may have been used as a royal residence. Visitors can also walk through galleries that lead to balconies, which are held up by stone pillars. These balconies have statues of Goddess Mahishasurmardini and Lord Ganesha.
The building shows signs of being improved over time by both the Chauhans and the Mughals. You can tell this by the style of arches used. The Chauhans built straight-beam arches (called trabeated arches) and the Mughals added curved arches, also known as cusped arches. Today, visitors are not allowed to enter this inner part of the pavilion.
The most eye-catching part of Chand Baori is the double flight of steps, which look like a giant staircase puzzle. These steps not only look amazing but also helped many people reach the water at the same time.
The whole stepwell is made of volcanic rock and stone, which lets water move through the stone and collect at the bottom. As you walk down the steps, you will feel the air getting cooler—about 5 to 6 degrees cooler than at the top! This smart design helped people stay cool during very hot weather.
At the bottom of the steps, there are hidden shafts that were used long ago to pull water out from the well.
Image Gallery Of Chand Baori
Best time to visit chand Baori
The best time to visit Chand Baori is from October to March, when the weather is cooler and more comfortable for sightseeing.
Places to visit near Chand Baori Abhaneri
Harshat Mata Temple can be visited along with Chand Baori.
How to Reach Chand Baori Abhaneri
Chand Baori is located in Abhaneri village, which is about 95 kilometers away from Jaipur. The easiest way to get there is by hiring a taxi or renting a cab from one of the car rental services in Jaipur. There are no direct buses from Jaipur to Abhaneri.
If you’re traveling on a budget and want to use public transport, you can split the journey into two parts:
- First, take a bus or shared ride from Jaipur to Sikandra.
- Then, from Sikandra to Abhaneri, you can hire a jeep or taxi, depending on what’s available.
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Chand Baori address and location
Abhaneri Step Well Jaipur Address: Near Harshat Mata Temple, Abhaneri, Dausa, Bandikui, Rajasthan, 303313, India