Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo, Junagadh: History, highlights and visitor guide

History and context

The story behind Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo

Adi Kadi Vav is a Nanda-type stepwell cut into bedrock rather than built in masonry. Its date is uncertain; sources variously say the 10th or 11th century under the Chudasamas, or the 15th century. A local historian believes a second well, Kadi, still lies buried.

Navghan Kuvo is dated broadly between the 2nd and 7th centuries, with the forecourt probably built in the 11th century in the reign of Navaghana and finished by his son Khengara. Accounts differ, so treat any single date with caution.

Useful facts

Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo facts at a glance

Location

Uparkot Fort, Junagadh

Experience type

Rock-cut stepwells

Known for

166 steps at Adi Kadi; spiral stair at Navghan Kuvo

Age

Debated; between the 2nd and 15th centuries by different accounts

Good for

Architecture and photography, not for weak knees

Why it matters

Why Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo is worth your time

Stepwells like these were practical water systems for a fort that sat on rock, and they show how the Chudasama rulers and earlier builders solved the problem of a dry hilltop. Navghan Kuvo is named after the Chudasama king Ra Navaghana. A Gujarati proverb says that anyone who has seen neither this well nor Adi Kadi Vav has not really lived, which tells you how central they are to local pride.

The legend of Adi and Kadi, two girls whose sacrifice is said to have brought water, adds a human, sombre note. Whatever its truth, it is why people leave cloth and bangles nearby. Seeing the wells alongside the fort helps you understand the engineering behind a citadel that held out for centuries.

Highlights

What not to miss

1. 01

   166 steps down

   Adi Kadi Vav descends a narrow passage to a shaft about 123 feet deep.

2. 02

   Circular staircase

   Navghan Kuvo's steps wind round the shaft behind a thick rock wall.

3. 03

   The legend

   Cloth and bangles hung nearby remember Adi and Kadi, the girls of the local story.

Plan your visit

How to experience it

Start at Adi Kadi Vav. A flight of 166 steps leads down a narrow, rock-cut passage to the well shaft, which is about 123 feet deep. The stone has been polished by centuries of feet and can be slippery, so go down with a hand free and take your time. Look at the walls and the roof slits that let in light and air. At the top, a tree nearby is hung with cloth and bangles by locals in memory of the two girls the legend names.

Navghan Kuvo is a short walk away and quite different. It is a deep well cut into soft rock with a circular staircase running round the shaft behind a thick wall. From the forecourt you can look into the shaft; the stairs wind down in straight and transverse flights. Dating is debated, and some scholars place it among the oldest stepwells in India.

Take a small torch and keep to the middle of the steps. Do not lean over the shaft edge, and keep an eye on children. Visit the two in the same outing and then rest in the shade near the mosque.

Know before you go

Timing, access and comfort

Area

Inside Uparkot Fort, Junagadh

Time needed

60 to 90 minutes for both

Best time

Morning, when the passages are cool and the light enters the shafts

Walking level

Demanding

Senior comfort

Both involve narrow, steep stairs cut in rock with polished, sometimes damp steps and little railing. The wells are cooler than the fort above but climbing back out is tiring. Older visitors can enjoy the entrances and top views and skip the descent.

Tickets and access

Both are inside Uparkot Fort, so entry follows the fort's current arrangements. Check opening hours and fees at the gate; closures for restoration have occurred.

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