Abhaneri 4.17

Abhaneri is a village in the Dausa district of Rajasthan state in India. It is situated at a distance of 95 km from Jaipur, on the Jaipur-Agra road. The place is popular for the Chand Baori step well and Harshat Mata Temple.HistoryThe village of Abhaneri is believed to have been established by the Gurjar pratihar king Samrat Mihir Bhoj. In mythology, samrat Mihir Bhoja is presented as King Raja Chand.MonumentsThe village of Abhaneri was originally named Abha Nagri, meaning "city of brightness," but over time the name got distorted to its present form. The village is located between the city of Bandikui and the town of Sikandra that lies on the Jaipur-Agra highway. The village lies close to State Highway 25 (that connects Bandikui with Sikandra) about 90 kms to the East of Jaipur and about 210 kms to the South of Delhi. The village is now in ruins, but it attracts large number of tourists from across the globe.Abhaneri is known for its 'Baori' or step well which was invented by the natives to harvest rain water. The Baori was used as a cool place of retreat and as a water source/reservoir during parched times of the year. Chand Baori remains one of India's deepest and largest stepwells. The Baori consists of three flight of stairs descending into the earth with a subterranean palace on one side. The flight of stairs and the palace are all arranged in a square pattern with the well lying at the very bottom. The flight of steps are thirteen storeys deep. The palace at the bottom of the Baori was a place for the royals to stay during hot summers days. There is a large courtyard all around the Baori from where great views of the Baori can be had. All around the courtyard there are covered areas housing intricately carved sandstone artifacts/idols dating as far back as 10th century.