In ancient times, stepwells were used in arid regions of Western India to enable people to reach groundwater that was deep underground. A fascinating and intricate feat of engineering and architecture, these wells had galleries and stairwells reaching all the way down to the water level.
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| Chand Baori (stepwell), Abhaneri, Rajasthan, India By Doron (Own work) GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Chicago journalist Victoria Lautman spent several years, studying and photographing 120 steps across 7 Indian states. Photographs of her collection which include a mesmerizing helical well and palace structures are featured in many publications.