▁in ▁the ▁memory ▁of ▁R ana ▁Ve er ▁Singh ▁( the ▁V agh ela ▁dynast y ▁of ▁D and ai ▁Des ), ▁by ▁his ▁wife ▁Queen ▁Rud ade vi . ▁ ▁Introduction ▁to ▁step well s ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁Gu jar ati ▁and ▁Mar w ari ▁language , ▁the ▁step well ▁is ▁called ▁a ▁v av , ▁( leading ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁water ), ▁in ▁other ▁H indi - spe aking ▁regions ▁of ▁North ▁India ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁ba oli ▁( also ▁sp elt , ▁' b aw di ', ▁' b aw ri ' ▁and ▁ ▁' b av adi '). ▁ ▁Step ▁well s ▁like ▁the ▁one ▁in ▁Ad al aj ▁were ▁once ▁integral ▁to ▁the ▁semi - ar id ▁regions ▁of ▁Gu jar at , ▁as ▁they ▁provided ▁water ▁for ▁drink ing , ▁was hing ▁and ▁bath ing . ▁These ▁well s ▁were ▁also ▁ven ues ▁for ▁colour ful ▁festiv als ▁and ▁sacred ▁rit uals . ▁ ▁Step well s , ▁also ▁called ▁stepped ▁p onds , ▁built ▁between ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁are ▁common ▁in ▁Western ▁India ; ▁over ▁ 1 2 0 ▁such ▁well s ▁are ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁semi - ar id ▁region ▁of ▁Gu jar at ▁alone , ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁well ▁at ▁Ad al aj ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular . ▁Step well s ▁are ▁also ▁found ▁in ▁more ▁ar id ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁sub cont inent , ▁extending ▁into ▁Pakistan ,