TS 1EDING ASSAG 1You shold ed about 20 minute onQuetos1-3, which ae based oedin Pasage 1 blwSepwl milenim ago, stepwlls w funamtlto lfe ithe diprts ofIdia. RihardCox travelled tonort-wesernInia todocmhese spectacularmouments fro a bygone ui th sxthand seventhcetures, the habitats t modrn-a states ofGujaratnd Raathan in norh-wsr Idi velopdamethodof gaining accesto cle， reh grundwaterduin th ryeson fo driking, athing,ateing anials nd irrigaion. Hweve,he signficacefis invetio-thsepwell -goesbontsutlitarian applicatin.nque hisreion, stewells aroteahitecturlly complx vay widelyin sizea shapDurinthei eyday， they wer paces o gatering, ofleisure ndelxatnad owrshi for villars ofall but telwesclasesos stewells aefound dttedroundhe deert rea of Gujara (whereheyre caledvav）nd ajastn (hee hyare lle baoi), wia ew also urvive nDhi. ome ere lcate i or near vilag s ubl spces forthe comni；ters werepionedbeie ras as resingplas r travlers.their nameuggsts，sepwels cprise a seres of stone step descendin from groundlvel to te watsurce(orlyaundrroun aqfer) s iteceesfolloin the rai. Wen theateelwasigh, theusr neeedonl t esend afew tes o rch it; whe was low, several evls wouldhaveto bengoiated.ome well ae as,opncraes with hdresofteps pan each sloig ide,ftn nters Otesre ore elabrate,with og sepped pasag ledngo the wer v sverl toreys uil from sto ad pporte ypllar, th als includedpavilion that selered vistors o e rentes heat t erhapsteotipresive fetrs ae ttrcate decratve suptres that melliany pwells,shoig ctvis fmghting and ancingto everydy actssuh as wmen combing their hairor hurningbtter.Down the cenri, tosds o els were ontrcte throgou northwetern ndi, ut the marty havenowfllen nodse； many ar deeicnd dr, as gounwater has bedverte idtrial use and e wels no longer reach th wtertble. Their ondition hastbeehelped brecent dryspell: souhe Raasthansffee n eightear drghtbetwn199 and .Howeer,somemportant site n Gujt rcely undrgoe mao storaion,andthe te gvennt anoued i Je last year thatit plans torestoe ttwe throuout the tatenPatn, e statesacnt apital, the stewelof Rani K Vv （Quen Swel) is perhap he fiesurrt example.It was but by Quee Udaamati durig th le he century， butbecamesledupfollowng a fodigte 13t cetury.B thechaelogial Surveyo Iia gn restorngit in he 196s， atoy it s inpristecnditioA 6res og, 20etres wd and 2 merdeep， Raniiav featur500 sculptescavd int nichesthghou e onumen. Incredbly, i Janary , hisancient suctur surid a arhquake tht meaurd 7.6 on Richr cleAnother example s teSury Kd Mohera, otern Gujrat,next to the un Tml, built y Kng Bhma in 1 o hoour the un god Srya. t ctually rsems tnk (kund ansreervrorpnd) rather ha well, ut dsplays t hllmarso stewl achitctur,iluding four ds of steps tateend o th ttm in astunnig geoerial oratin Te erraces house 10 sall, naey cav hrinebetween hesets of steps.Rshan alohas elth l. Theancent city und, 20 kiometresouh of Japur, is renown fo is archiectu，inluding its twells.Onfthe lager examles isRij i Bi, hich was ut by he quen othe ei, Nathavaji, in 199At 4 metre deep, 0meteideand 40 metres ln, the ricatel arvemnumetis oof boriscommisioe i hund area b Nathavatji.In heold rid twn of Abhaneri,about 95 kloetres east f aipu, is Cand Boi，o f Indis olesanddeestwells; aesthetcaly tsraps on ofte st dramaic.Built in aud 850 AD nx to h tpl o arhat ata， thebaori comrie hunded o zizgingsteps hat rn along three of sis，stepldescedin 11 sry,reulting i ating patter wh eenfrom afa. O the fourh sd,erad whih r supported by rnate pisverk he stpStil inpublc ue isemrana aor,loatedjust ff teJaur-De hihway. Cotructed inarund 1700, tis nin storeysdep, th te last two beiguerwter. Aground lel，thre ar 8 cloae oeisfom her te isitor descens10 steps to the