Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India - Hardcover

Livingston, Morna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1568983247 ISBN 13: 9781568983240

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press, 2002

Synopsis

Steps to Water A study of the stepwells of India, built from the 5th to the 19th centuries to hold the monsoon water for the dry months of the year. It traces the history of stepwells, and reflects on their current use, preservation, and place in Indian communities. There are many photographs and drawings. Full description

About this title

Review:

Think of Egypt's great pyramids, inverted and elegantly lodged in the earth to serve a subcontinent's thirst for water. That's the role of India's stepwells and stepped ponds, which, from the 5th through 19th centuries, served to catch water from the monsoons and save it for drinking, washing and bathing. These stone buildings, some as deep as nine stories with elaborate carved walls, columns and towers, are largely unappreciated outside the country and neglected and underprotected inside the country, circumstances this book hopes to change. These photographs (color and black-and-white, all by the author) and architectural drawings can be staggering; think of an M.C. Escher pattern tugged into three dimensions and reflected in a pool. Author Morna Livingston, and image maker and a scholar, has studied India's stepwells for 15 years and spend four extended trips visiting and photographing them. -Los Angeles Times

Synopsis:

From the 5th to the 19th centuries, the people of western India built stone cisterns to collect the water of the monsoon rains and keep it accessible for the remaining dry months of the year. These magnificent structures - known as stepwells or stepped ponds - are much more than utilitarian reservoirs. Their lattice-like walls, carved columns, decorated towers and intricate sculpture make them exceptional architecture, while their very presence tells much about the region's ecology and history. For the past 500 years, stepwells have been an integral part of western Indian communities as sites for drinking, washing and bathing, as well as for colourful festivals and sacred rituals. This work traces the history of stepwells, from their Hindu origins, to their zenith during Muslim rule, and eventual decline under British occupation. It also reflects on their current use, preservation, and place in Indian communities. There are many photographs and drawings of the stepwells.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1568983247
• ISBN 13: 9781568983240
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208