Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India [Hardcover]

Morna Livingston (Author), Milo Beach (Author, Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

From the fifth to the nineteenth centuries, the people of western India built stone cisterns to collect the water of the monsoon rains and keep it accessible for the remaining dry months of the year. These magnificent structures-known as stepwells or stepped ponds-are much more than utilitarian reservoirs. Their lattice-like walls, carved columns, decorated towers, and intricate sculpture make them exceptional architecture., while their very presence tells much about the region's ecology and history. For these past 500 years, stepwells have been an integral part of western Indian communities as sites for drinking, washing, and bathing, as well as for colorful festivals and sacred rituals. Steps to Water traces the fascinating history of stepwells, from their Hindu origins, to their zenith during Muslim rule, and eventual decline under British occupation. It also reflects on their current use, preservation, and place in Indian communities. In stunning color and quadtone photographs and drawings, Steps to Water reveals the depth of the stepwells' beauty and their intricate details, and serves as a lens on these fascinating cultural and architectural monuments.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this broad historical and cultural overview, photographer and scholar Livingston (Philadelphia Univ.) shares her passion for western Indian stepwells and stepped ponds. A distinctive, often highly decorated communal Hindu architecture object, with origins in the seventh century in the semiarid regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan, stepwells reached their peak from 900 to 1300 C.E. as elaborate water buildings that were invested with ritual and social meanings. These passive water collection systems, designed to preserve monsoon rains, were modified by Muslims and Mughals into the mid-19th century, when British colonialism effectively shut them down. The erudite text presents building types, engineering, functions, art, ecology, and changes through the centuries, including sanitation and preservation concerns. Livingston's poignant photographs capture the decayed and neglected condition of many sites. Maps, a chronology, a glossary, and even a bibliography of stepwell literature make this the definitive work in English. Recommended for vernacular architecture and Indian historical collections. Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Think of Egypt's great pyramids, inverted and elegantly lodged in the earth to serve a subcontinent's thirst for water. That's the role of India's stepwells and stepped ponds, which, from the 5th through 19th centuries, served to catch water from the monsoons and save it for drinking, washing and bathing. These stone buildings, some as deep as nine stories with elaborate carved walls, columns and towers, are largely unappreciated outside the country and neglected and underprotected inside the country, circumstances this book hopes to change.

These photographs (color and black-and-white, all by the author) and architectural drawings can be staggering; think of an M.C. Escher pattern tugged into three dimensions and reflected in a pool. Author Morna Livingston, and image maker and a scholar, has studied India's stepwells for 15 years and spend four extended trips visiting and photographing them. -Los Angeles Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568983247
• ISBN-13: 978-1568983240
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steps to Water, October 27, 2007

By 

Charles L. Stroh "CS" (Kalamazoo, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India (Hardcover)

Outstanding, authoritative and readable text. Excellent photographs by an author who is a recognized expert on west Indian step wells. There is not a lot of material on this subject and this text will likely become the standard.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars stunning photographs, extraordinary research, June 11, 2009

By 

parisNewt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India (Hardcover)

Astounding images abound in this book, which will draw you into the world of stepwells. Little-known even in India, these architectural constructions extend deep underground, into a shadowy world of water, dust, filtered sunlight, reflections, and shelter from the oppressive heat. This is an amazing book, a comprehensive and thorough survey of this forgotten architecture.