Rani Ki Vav world heritage; Modi tweets to the world

In his tweet, Modi said: 'Next time you visit Gujarat, you must visit Rani Ki Vav, an excellent symbol of our great art and culture'

In a departure from his usual engagement with governors,chief ministers or foreign dignitaries on social networking sites, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday used Twitter and Facebook to express "pride" for a cultural recognition linked to his state, Gujarat.

Within minutes of Rani Ki Vav or Queen’s Stepwell in Gujarat being added to the Unesco World Heritage list, Modi's tweets and Facebook account came alive, prompting his followers to retweet and 'like' his status.          

 

Announcing that Rani Ki Vav in Patan (Gujarat) had been added to the world heritage list, Modi tweeted, “a matter of great pride for us”. He added, “next time you visit Gujarat, you must visit Rani Ki Vav, an excellent symbol of our great art and culture.”

 

Gujarat Tourism already projects this stepwell as a popular destination for visitors. Queen Udayamati commissioned this vav or stepwell, in 1063 in the memory of her husband King Bhimdev I of the Solanki dynasty, according to information from the Gujarat government. The stepwell was later flooded and buried under silt for almost seven centuries. Then in the 1980s, it was excavated by the Archeological Survey of India, with the carvings found in pristine condition.

 

The vavs of Gujarat are not just sites for collecting water and socialising, but also have spiritual significance.

 

In an official announcement, the government said the recognition was granted by the Unesco at the World Heritage Committee Session currently on at Doha, Qatar. Rani Ki Vav has been recognized as an exceptional example of technological development in utilizing ground water resources in a single component, water management system. “It illustrates the exceptional capacity to break large spaces into smaller volumes following ideal aesthetic proportions.” 

 

The structure was nominated by ASI for the World Heritage List of Unesco in February 2013, when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat.