ization , ▁filling ▁of ▁water ▁was ▁achieved ▁from ▁a ▁large ▁well ▁located ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁rooms ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁open ▁cour ty ard ▁of ▁the ▁building – complex . ▁ ▁While ▁early ▁step well s ▁were ▁made ▁of ▁stone , ▁later ▁step ▁well s ▁were ▁made ▁of ▁mort ar , ▁st u cco , ▁rub ble ▁and ▁l amin ar ▁stones . ▁The ▁well ▁cyl inder ▁was ▁the ▁basic ▁form ▁used ▁to ▁deep en ▁the ▁well s . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁infer red ▁that ▁the ▁Step well s ▁in ▁Gu jar at ▁have ▁surv ived ▁so ▁long ▁in ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁builder ' s ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁soil ▁conditions ▁and ▁the ▁earth qu ake ▁pron eness ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁The ▁well ▁size ▁recommended , ▁based ▁on ▁consider ations ▁of ▁stability , ▁was ▁of ▁four ▁to ▁th ir teen ▁hasta ▁(' h asta ' ▁a ▁S ansk rit ▁word , ▁which ▁means ▁ ▁" fore arm " ▁of ▁size ▁varying ▁from ▁), ▁A ▁size ▁of ▁eight ▁hasta ▁was ▁considered ▁ideal ▁and ▁a ▁ 1 3 ▁hasta ▁well ▁was ▁considered ▁dangerous . ▁However , ▁the ▁well ▁thick ness ▁from ▁top ▁to ▁bottom ▁remained ▁generally ▁uniform . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century , ▁the ▁step ▁well ▁planning ▁and ▁design ▁acquired ▁architect ural ▁excell ence ▁and ▁the ▁H indu ▁Step well s ▁were ▁standard ized . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Ad al aj ▁step ▁well ▁or ▁' V av ', ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁called ▁in ▁Gu jar ati , ▁is ▁intr ic