STEPWELLS

A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest parts of India. Although many have been neglected, recent restoration has returned them to their former glory. Richard Cox traveled to north-western India to document these spectacular monuments from a bygone era.

A. During the sixth and seventh centuries, the inhabitants of the modern-day states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in North-western India developed a method of gaining access to clean, fresh groundwater during the dry season for drinking, bathing, watering animals, and irrigation. However, the significance of this invention – the stepwell – goes beyond its utilitarian application.

B. Unique to the region, stepwells are often architecturally complex and vary widely in size and shape. During their heyday, they were places of gathering, leisure, of relaxation, and of worship for villagers of all but the lowest castes. Most stepwells are found dotted around the desert areas of Gujarat (where they are called vav) and Rajasthan (where they are known as baori), while a few also survive in Delhi. Some were located in or near villages as public spaces for the community; others were positioned beside roads as resting places for travelers.

C. As their name suggests, stepwells comprise a series of stone steps descending from ground level to the water source (normally an underground aquifer) as it recedes following the rains. When the water level was high, the user needed only to descend a few steps to reach it; when it was low, several levels would have to be negotiated.

Questions 1–5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1–5 on your answer sheet, write 

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1. Examples of ancient stepwells can be found all over the world.

2. Stepwells had a range of functions, in addition to those related to water collection.

3. The few existing stepwells in Delhi are more attractive than those found elsewhere.

4. It took workers many years to build the stone steps characteristic of stepwells.

5. The number of steps above the water level in a stepwell altered during the course of a year.