The djinn of Rajasthan’s exquisite Chand Baori

Rajasthan, a place like no other, a state so colorful that it might be hailed as the most vibrant state in India. In its colours are stories, stories of the royals, of the pomp, of kings and queens, of princes and their kingdoms, of poor and the rich, and stories of these stories. Writing of stories, Rajasthan is more of a treasure trove and might just be the richest of all Indian states. Its history is so deeply rooted that you will often find different interpretations of the same, and you might as well choose the one that you develop a liking for.

If you have landed in the state with a journal and a camera perhaps, trying to chase its stories, I have yet another recommendation. While there is no dearth of supposedly haunted places in Rajasthan , the remote village of Abhaneri shelters a wonder that is mostly off the tourist radar. Yes, I am writing about Chand Baori, the massive stepwell that lies in Abhaneri. It was built between 800 CE - 900 CE by King Chanda of the Nikumbh Dynasty.
Records hail Chand Baori as one of the oldest and largest stepwells in the world, but there is more to it. Stories that do not find a mention in any record books, for the stepwell has quite some reputation as a haunted site as well.

The djinn of Chand Baori
Folk tales have it that this massive stepwell, imagine a structure with 3500 steps and 13 stories, was built in just one night! Now, since that is quite an impossible feat for even a superhuman, locals believe the structure to be the handiwork of a djinn. Well, a look at this mammoth structure can make you wonder as well. It is also reported that no human has ever been able to use the same set of stairs to get down and then climb back from the stepwell! So much so that you would be unable to even set foot on the same steps twice. While this fact stays debatable, eyewitness accounts confirm the same.
How to reach Chand Baori?
Chand Baori, as a work of architecture, stays unreplicated and there is little doubting the fact. But Chand Baori, as yet another believed-to-be haunted site in Rajasthan, is something that has the tourists queuing up for a visit here. If this has you interested, hail a cab from Jaipur to Abhaneri, get on a shared taxi, or get on a roadways bus. It lies at some 95 km from the Pink City, and is quite accessible.

Haunted or not, Chand Baori will stay for long in your mind with its impressive architecture, the weird air around it, and some hundreds of bat that can be heard shrieking inside it. Also, if you are a movie buff, know that this is the same stepwell that you might have noticed in The Dark Knight Rises and Bhool Bhulaiya.