Dada Harir Stepwell

Dada Harir Stepwell stands in the Asarwa area of Ahmedabad. It was built in the reign of Sultan Mahmud Begada by Bai Harir Sultani, known locally as Dhai Harir, who served as superintendent of the royal harem; her name later became Dada Harir. Its inscriptions disagree on the date: a Persian one points to 1485, while a Sanskrit one gives December 1499. She also built a mosque and a tomb nearby, where she was later buried. The well cost 3,29,000 Mahmudis.

The sandstone well runs on an east–west axis and descends five storeys. From a domed canopy at the east end, flights of steps lead down through covered galleries to the water, with landings roofed in stone slabs while the steps stay open to the sky. Carved pillars with volute capitals, niches of fine stonework, geometric friezes and stone ledges for resting line each level, and the circular shaft carries geometric patterns. From the first level, three staircases run down to the water.