Rani ki Vav is a famous step well located in Patan , Gujarat state of India . This picture has been depicted on the ₹ 100 note by RBI ( Reserve Bank of India ) in July 2018 and on 22 June 2014 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site . [ 1 ]

Patan was earlier known as 'Anhilpur', which was the former capital of Gujarat. It is said that Rani ki Vav (stepwell) was built in the year 1063 in loving memory of King Bhimdev I of Solanki rule by his wife Rani Udaymati. Rani Udaymati was the daughter of Ra' Khengar (Khangar), the Chudasama ruler of Junagadh. The founder of the Solanki dynasty was Mulraj. The stepped stepwell was once filled with silt due to the water of the Saraswati river. This stepwell is 64 meters long, 20 meters wide and 27 meters deep. It is a unique stepwell of its kind in India.

The pillars of the Vav take us back to the times of the Solanki dynasty and their architectural marvels. Most of the carvings on the walls and pillars of the Vav are dedicated to Lord Vishnu in various forms of his incarnations like Rama , Vamana, Mahishasuramardini, Kalki , etc. [ 2 ]

The formal announcement of inclusion of 'Rani ki Vav' in the new list of World Heritage has been made. This step well, built in the 11th century, has also been given the title of Queen of all step wells in India by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. It is considered to be the best example of the technology of using groundwater resources in the water management system. It is the most developed and comprehensive example of a unique type of 11th century Indian underground architectural structure, which depicts the story of the development of step well construction in India. This seven-storey step well is evidence of the Maru-Gurjar style. It was buried in silt for about seven centuries after the disappearance of the Saraswati river. It was rediscovered by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has also digitized the documents of the step well with the help of CyArc and Scottish Ten.