I have been to Jaipur umpteen times. My association with Jaipur started in 1990s when I did my graduation and post-graduation at Banasthali Vidyapeet. If you wish to read more about Jaipur check out the Expedia guide, where I am quoted as well.
And yet it took me 16 years to stumble upon Panna Meena ki Baori. It is also known as Panna Mian Ka Kund. A Baori is a stepwell, an ancient way to do water harvesting. In water scarce places like Rajasthan it would have been crucial. And they made it beautiful too. I spent a few hours at the Panna Meena Stepwell and I would love to go back.
I visited Jaipur for the Rajasthan Diwas Celebrations. Diganata Bandopadhyay, a journalist and I were keen to go sightseeing on the last day of our trip as we had free time. He did a Google search at dinner and found a mention of Panna Meena ki Baori. Both of us were keen to visit it the next day. It also helped that the baori is close to Amber Fort.
In the morning we asked our driver Lakshman if he knew the location of the Kund? He said he would call a friend and figure out. After the phone call, he told us he would take us there. I am surprised that the place has not gone mainstream given its proximity to the much visited Amber Fort.
When we went there, it had just a handful of visitors. Some of them were college students making sketches by the baori. We also met an Australian traveler who told us he visited a bigger baoli called Chand Baoli but it is about 90 kilometres from Jaipur. His next stop was Lahore, he was spending 11 nights in Pakistan! I have marked Chand Baoli for a future visit!
Panna Meena ka Kund is said to have been built in the 16th century as a community place. It was a place to gather, relax and conversation as it would be cooler by the water tank in the hot summers. Beyond that much is not known.
Of late I have been wondering, why do we take so little pride in our heritage? Here is a beautiful structure in the close vicinity of a world famous monument, Amber Fort, and yet we are unable to market Panna Meena ka Kund! What do you think?
Update
I revisited Panna Meena ki Baori along with my sister Alka in 2023. It is better known now. They have security around the kund. Earlier you could walk inside the stepwell and take pictures as you can see in my pictures above. It is no longer permitted. There are no sings saying you can’t walk down. So I tried to go like before, only to yelled at by the security. I would appreciate if they would put in a sign saying you can’t climb down the well. Otherwise it remains mostly the same.
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Jaipur is a great city. Have you been to Abhaneri? Abhaneri is known for the biggest and deepest bowri in Rajasthan.
Not yet Atul, but I will go there for sure!
Abhaneri: https://sway.com/jXzx0mqJG6FejFQo
This place reminds me of Hampi …
There are so many secret gems sprinkled all around in India
And I have not been to Hampi yet 🙁
Wow!!
What a structure. It feels like it deserves more visitors.
Thank you for the pictures.
I am torn between more visitors and the baori being a hidden gem!
Wow… this is such an amazing structure!
Thank you Archana!
Beautiful Place:-)
Thank you Amit!
Amazing design! Truly mesmerizing! Strange, its potential hasn’t been explored yet as a tourist spot!
Yes it is right in the capital, close to the famous Amber Fort!
Such a magnificent structure. Loved the pics.
Thank you Swati!
Gosh! I missed this. Amazing place and beautiful pictures. Marking this for my next visit 🙂
You will love it Ami!
It also helped that the baori is close to Amber Fort.I have been there in Jaipur 5-6 times and visited Amber fort but never heard about it . Pictures are truly defining your words !!
Yogi go there next time!
Amazing place. Great clicks.
Thank you Rupam!
Wow! There’s a similar one at Nahargarh Fort. Another one of the least visited forts. But a spectacular view of the city you get from there. A little ahead of Jaigarh Fort it is. Do visit, if you haven’t already been there.
I have been to Nahargarh and seen the sunset but I don’t remember a baori! Time to go back to Nahargarh Fort!
Amazing place!
What knowledge they had to build something like this.
Great pics.
True Indrani and the Gujarat one, the seven story one, is the most stunning that I ever saw!
What an amazing place! 🙂
Thank you Purba!
I really want to visit this baoli the next time I go to Jaipur. It’s quite a marvel.
It was indeed a lot of fun to visit it Kalpanaa!
Well, now we know about it 🙂
Yes and hopefully visit it on your next trip!
That is so true we don’t indeed take very less pride in our own heritage. The is probably the most beautiful baoli I have ever seen.
Ruby the Rani ki Vav is Gujarat is a 7 story one!
Absolutely Mridula….We have scant respect for our heritage. Lovely post and would like to visit the place one day…..
I hope you will go soon as soon as the weather becomes better after the summers!
I had absolutely no clue about this though I have visited Jaipur many times! But I am happy that at least now I know about it.
I always wonder how they would have constructed these structures with perfect symmetry in ancient times!
I agree and they are cool too in the summers!
Truly a wonderful design to conserve the precious water.. Nicely presented the details, Mridula!
Thank you Sreedhar ji.
Dear Mridula, I read your blog always, this time after a long gap…Its nice you add abroad now…This was amazing explanation of the amber step well. you might be like i share a vlog about panna meena ki bawari.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECGS9RAJqrw
Thank you Rajesh!
I’m happy you finally made it to Panna Meena Kund, Mridula. It’s one of the best Baori in Jaipur. The only one to be restored and accessible to the tourists. Although we have many Baoris here in Jaipur, unfortunately these are in urgent need of repair and renovation.
So sorry to hear that Arv but I will like to explore more in future including the Chand Baori!