1/11 Rani ji ki Baori at Bundi, Rajasthan.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

2/11 Hadi Rani Ka Kund, Todaraisingh, Rajasthan. A scene from Shahrukh Khan's movie Paheli 2005 was filmed here.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

3/11 Chand Baori at Abhaneri, Rajasthan. This stepwell has also been featured in movies like The Fall and The Dark Knight Rises.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

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4/11 Adalaj Stepwell in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

5/11 Agrasen ki Baoli close to Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi. A scene from movie PK was filmed here.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

6/11 Neemrana Baoli at Neemrana, Rajasthan.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

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7/11 Rani ka Vav at Patan, Gujarat. 'This is the best stepwell I have ever seen as the deepest end has more than 200 carved statues of Hindu mythology,' says Chhabra.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

8/11 More from Rani ka Vav at Patan, Gujarat.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

9/11 The wall carvings at Rani ka Vav at Patan, Gujarat.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

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10/11 Modhera Sun Temple and Kund at Modhera, Gujarat.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

11/11 A close up of the Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat.

Photo courtesy Jatin Chhabra

So many baolis, so little time: Man on a mission to visit Indian stepwells in a year

Catch Team @CatchNews | Updated on: 23 November 2016, 22:09 IST

A baoli, or a stepwell, was used as storage space for rainwater used in irrigation in ancient India. Also called a baori or vav, stepwells, though seemingly mundane in purpose, stand today as beautiful pieces of architecture.

It then doesn\'t surprise us that a hospitality consultant, Delhi-based Jatin Chhabra, decided to document these stunning architectural wonders spread over India on his blog. What makes Chhabra\'s project fun is that he intends to do this by the end of next year.

He has already visited and documented stepwells in New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. He plans to visit sites in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka next.

"Chand Baori, Abhaneri was the first stepwell I fell in love, but now it faces competition with Rani Ka Vav in Patan, Gujarat," Chhabra tells Catch, adding, "This site is a living example of water restoration and Indian stone architecture, as Rani Ka Vav has more than 200 statues presenting a diverse aspect of Hindu mythology."

Jatin Chhabra realised he wanted to carry out this project when he visited Chand Baori, which, as he says, "is one of the grandest stepwell sites in India and has been featured in some famous Hollywood movies." Namely, Batman\'s prison in The Dark Knight Rises.

But why does he do it? As Chhabra puts it, "Blogging is not just for fun, but more of a way to grasp the knowledge of ancient Indian arts and science."

You can see more of his work on his blog at: http://jatinchhabra.com/ and on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/jatintheexplorer/