“High-relief sandstone sculpture of Mahishasuramardini (Goddess Durga slaying Mahishasura), from 11th-century Rani ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat. Photo by Opticon1974 — CC BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons.”
Rani ki Vav is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, commissioned in memory of Bhima I by Queen Udayamati, featuring over 500 principal sculptures and 1,000+ minor ones .
Brief Write-Up
Rani ki Vav, also known as the Queen’s Stepwell, is an architectural and sculptural marvel of 11th-century India. Commissioned by Queen Udayamati in memory of her husband, Bhima I of the Solanki dynasty, the stepwell stands as a testament to high craftsmanship in Maru-Gurjara architecture .
Designed as an inverted temple, the stepwell spans approximately 65 meters in length, 20 meters in width, and consists of seven descending levels leading to a deep well shaft . Its stone surfaces are richly adorned—housing more than 500 primary sculptures of deities and 1,000+ minor carvings depicting mythological, religious, and even secular themes .
The Central Panel: Goddess Durga as Mahishasuramardini
This high-relief panel captures Durga in her Mahishasuramardini form, heroically depicted slaying the buffalo demon while maintaining poise and grace .
The sculpture is almost full relief, remarkable for its depth and lifelike quality—she is shown with ten hands, each holding a distinct weapon or attribute: trident, vajra (thunderbolt), arrow, mace, ankush (goad), spear, chakra, lotus, damaru (small drum), and sword .
In her left hands, she grasps the demon’s hair, a noose (pasha), bow, war horn, three-headed cobra, skull-cup with fish, bell, and shield—symbols of her comprehensive power and martial prowess .
The scene includes a lion aiding the goddess, reinforcing the iconography of strength and victory .
Artistic and Historical Significance
The sculpture’s preservation owes much to its burial under sand and mud for centuries, until rediscovery in the 1980s .
It illustrates the depth of craftsmanship, the religious ethos, and narrative artistry of the era.
Within the broader design of the stepwell, such panels contribute to a cosmic allegory—where water functions not only as a life-giving force but also a vessel for spiritual symbolism, making the stepwell an underground temple in itself .
Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for its kind help and support in creating this blogpost and Wikimedia Commons and Opticon 1974 for the image
