Built in the 11th century during the dynastic rule of the Solankis, the Rani-ki-Vav (stepwell) in Patan in North Gujarat is among the 25 Cultural World Heritage Sites chosen for restoration by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
During the presentation of the Budget in Parliament on Saturday, Finance Minister Jaitley said facilities such as landscaping, signage and interpretation centres, parking, access for the differently-abled, amenities for visitors, including security apparatus and toilets, illumination, and plans for benefiting communities around the site, would be taken up.
The step-well, which symbolises the Gujarat-style architecture, is known for the intricate carvings of Apsara and Hindu deities including Vishnu, Mahishasur, and Mardini, among others.
Rani-ki-Vav entered the tentative list of Unesco's world heritage list in July 1998 and found its permanent place in the Unesco’ orld Heritage Sites list in June last year.