Navghan Kuvo is a

stepwell Stepwells (also known as vavs or baori) are wells or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level. Stepwells played a significant role in defining subterranean architecture in western India from 7th to 19th century. So ...

Uparkot Fort Uparkot is a fort located in east side of Junagadh, Gujarat, India. History A fort and town was established at the foothills of Girnar hill during reign of the Maurya Empire and continued to be used during Gupta period, but it lost its importance ...

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally t ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

History

Navghan Kuvo is named after the

Chudasama The Chudasama are a Rajput clan found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are offshoot of the Samma tribe of Sind. The Chudasama dynasty of Junagadh once ruled Thatta of Sind and Chudachandra laid foundation in Gujarat with Junagadh ...

king Ra Navaghana. The forecourt to reach the well was probably built during his reign in 11th century. It is believed to have been completed by his son

Khengara Khengara was a Chudasama king of Saurashtra region of western India who reigned from 1331 CE to 1351 CE ( VS 1387 to VS 1407). His capital was at Junagadh. Reign Khengara succeeded his father Mahipala I in 1331 CE. He expelled the Muslim gove ...

. The well is considered older than the forecourt. It is an oldest example of the

according to some scholars. It is near the

Uparkot Caves Uparkot caves, also Uperkot caves, are ancient man-made caverns. The caves are a part of the Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups situated in the eastern part of Junagadh of the Indian state of Gujarat. Caves These caves located at Uperkot beyond the ...

. The well might have been built in

Kshatrapa A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires. The satrap served as viceroy to the king, though with consid ...

period (2nd-4th century) or in

Maitraka The Maitraka dynasty ruled western India (now Gujarat) from approximately 475 to approximately 776 CE from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapaṭṭa (the fifth king in the dynasty), who followed the Mithraic mysteries, ...

period (6th-7th century). It is a state protected monument (S-GJ-116).

Architecture

A small staircase entered through an arched doorway leads to the forecourt. The well is located at the far end of the forecourt. The water in the well is reached by a circular staircase which is cut in the soft rock behind thin stone wall of the shaft of well. The flight of the steps, first straight and then transverse, turns right around the shaft. The array of square holes in the stone wall of the shaft illuminate and cool the inside.

Gallery

File:Navghan Kuvo(well)-1.jpg, Entrance of the stepwell File:Navghan Kuvo1.JPG, Forecourt File:Navghan_Kuvo(well)-2.jpg, Forecourt File:Dark Door (54748614).jpeg, Forecourt from steps File:Navghan Kuvo(well)-3(Bird Home).jpg, Soft rock hewn to make niches for birds File:Navghan Kuvo 01.jpg, Information board

References

{{commonscat Stepwells in Gujarat Junagadh Tourist attractions in Junagadh district Monuments and memorials in Gujarat

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References