Take a walk in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and one would come across a magnificent structure with intricate artwork that looks like a city in itself, walk a little ahead and one can find young men smoking hashish and hookah. Ask them where they are and they know nothing about the structure; the guard at the gate does not seem to know either. The largest and most artistic among the three baolis in Mehrauli is the Rajon ki Baoli — a stepwell once used by Rajon (masons).
Constructed by Daulat Khan during Sikander Lodi's reign between 1498-1517 AD, the baoli is a rectangular structure and has four different stages with rooms on either side at each level.
These rooms were built for masons/travellers to rest. Four levels down, the baoli holds some dirty water with plastic, and algae growth in it.
This has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Each level has a courtyard and rooms with ornate work around it that lies unnoticed.
Opposite the baoli is a Lodi Dynasty mausoleum and both the structures say 'Protected Monument'. The monument is of national importance under the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1951.
But the only guard at the gate does not know the significance of any of the structures and is a little unsure of allowing a woman to go inside alone due to anti-social elements and the fact that it is unsafe.
On the right side of the baoli lies a staircase that leads to a small mosque on the terrace. On the outside is a twelve-pillar canopy tomb also known as Barakhamba.
Some young men from the neighbourhood here break beer bottles and smoke hashish with indifference.
"This is some kuan," one of them says while the other responds, "This is Gandhak ki baoli, everyone says this is that sulphur water of Mehrauli." (Gandhak ki baoli is several metres away from here and the men are not even sure what a baoli is).
Earlier, the water in the stepwell used to rise to the third level, but over a period of 500 years, the well got silted up.
Descending levels
In 2004-05, the Archaeological Survey of India and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) carried operations for desilting of the well.
Desilting of the stepwell was carried out up to 6.1 metres, following which the water level rose to 20 feet.
But after the desilting, there was never a provision to use the water in the baoli leading to stagnancy, becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
