"If history was taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten." Anonymous but rightly said. I experienced this for real recently when I made my visit to one of the many, say more than 100 Baolis in Delhi. Lying unnoticed yet unforgotten in midst of the hustle and bustle of modern life, an ancient marvel of architecture which is now shrouded by veil of mystical and haunted darkness. Yes, I am talking about Agrasen ki Baoli. It was not well known to many who visit for Delhi Darshan until showcased in the movie PK.
One of the best-preserved oldest step-well narrates a story of erstwhile grandeur and glory through its forlorn steps, stone arches and echoing walls. A very good option for sightseeing spree, photographers, couples and sometimes for recluse.
Wanting to explore Delhi but alone, I decided to visit here. I love to walk, so I took metro and made my exit from Rajiv Chowk Metro Station. Then reached to Block N in Connaught Place and started my walk to my destination. Anyone who wants to be here can stop at other station like Barakhamba and Janpath and rest is either walk or take a rickshaw. It is in Haley Lane, left to the main road inside an alley. You can ask anyone on your way and simply follow the signboards directing you.
There is no entry fee and timings are from 6 in the morning till 6 in the evening. It gets crowded as day passes so if you want space then be sure to be there early in the morning. You can get some great shots with lots of simple or quirky poses to make stories and ideas for tricky clicks. It has 103 steps before you reach the reservoir which rises from the depths. Be careful with your steps as they are pretty steep, uneven and high. There are four arch doors right in front but no one is allowed to go to the top two. It has three sidewalks but only two are open for tourists. When you will reach to the bottom of the steps, you can notice a circular hollow rim and a very small arch door from which you can take a peek into the well which is no more functional. The well remains shielded with an iron grill that prevents anyone from intentionally or accidentally falling into the water. It is also linked by shafts to the rectangular passage. As the water level of the baoli rises, the passage also gets filled with water. There are trees all around the structure which in habitats lots of pigeons, parrots and other animals which will hover over the structure after a hardened clap. It is awesome to watch this scene again and again.
The best way to admire and enjoy its engineering brilliance is by sitting on its steps at different heights. I enjoyed it a lot as I got different frames to capture, vision and perspective of imagination. There are several arches built in a row on its side walls which is a great backdrop for selfies and shoots. An hour or two is enough to soak in all that this place has to offer.
There are several horror stories linked to this place but to be true, I didn’t feel any sudden chill whatsoever. Nothing was ever affirmed to me even by the watchman who called the claims hoax. It is nice spot to chill out but not so much in summers. You will not find anything great to eat nearby and the best you could do is to return back to Connaught Place for a bite.
Agrasen ki Baoli definitely does not boast to be a huge complex, but it has gained recognition with time and is definitely one of the stops in Delhi for tourist to consider worth exploring.
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