stepwell, Gujarati vav Hindi baoli or baori, Subterranean edifice and water source, an architectural form long popular throughout India but particularly in arid regions of the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, stepwells—which incorporated a cylinder well that extended down to the water table—provided water for drinking, washing, bathing, and irrigation of crops. They also served as cool sanctuaries for caravans, pilgrims, and other travelers during the heat of day or overnight. Commissioned by royal, wealthy, or powerful patrons, they were complex engineering feats and stunning examples of both Hindu and Islamic architecture. Many were destroyed during the period of British rule (1858–1947) after they had been deemed unhygienic breeding grounds for disease. Present-day India’s water crisis has renewed interest in them, and the government has begun to preserve some of them.