For those of you who have seen the new Rs 100 note, you would have noticed that there is a stepwell featured on it. Stepwells are a common feature across many parts of western India and were commonly used by Rajput kings and their predecessors in the earliest example of rainwater harvesting. Many of them have fallen into disrepair and disuse though they were all ornate at one time. Many, because they were often associated with religion, were destroyed when invading armies came into the region. But not the stepwell we see on the Rs 100 note. The Rani Ki Vav at Patan, Gujarat, survived thanks to it being covered in sand and mud.

Whether that was a deliberate act to protect it from armies that raided the prosperous traders of Gujarat is unknown, but it survived. It was not affected by the large-scale loot of antiquities by colonial powers thanks to it being lost in time and it was not “discovered” until after Independence and excavated in 1958.

We might criticise the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for several things, including the large-scale “disappearance” of historical monuments in a city like New Delhi but it must be complimented for the astounding work it has done in restoring the Rani Ki Vav, which is a major reason that UNESCO made it a world heritage site. However, if there is any criticism of the ASI, it is that there can be much more information on the importance of the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, who have been painstakingly carved in three-dimensional ways into the stone. This site is a tremendous validation of the skills of craftsmen from Gujarat.

There is also the spectacular Surya Mandir in Modhera an hour from Patan, with its 12 carved “adityas” or manifestations inside, which is a must-visit. Both the well and the temple were built during the rule of Bhima I, the founder of the great Solanki dynasty, the well being built by his consort, Queen Udaymati. These sites, just a couple of hours from Ahmedabad, are a reminder of not only the great wealth of this part of the nation, which is as true now as it was then, but also the skill and patience of the rulers and the people.

It is a crying shame that there are fewer and fewer people taking up some of these intricate crafts. The Patola saris of Patan for example, with geometrical designs inspired by patterns on the vav, and the “double-ikat” method, requiring an understanding of complex mathematics, used to be made by 200 families.

Today just three Salvi families are in the trade. But Patola saris are still in demand while the kite-makers of Jamalpur in Ahmedabad are not so much, their creations being supplanted by cheap Chinese imports. These are also vital handicraft skills that we must all do more to preserve.

The Hyundai Venue has been a boon considering  the roads around Patan and Modhera are a bit on the poor side. There were roadworks ongoing but the car negotiated the tough rides without a problem. And even after covering 700 plus kilometres over two days on both highways and urbanised areas, the Venue diesel that is being driven returned an astounding fuel economy of over 21 kilometres a litre and has proven its maneuverability through the narrow lanes of the old city of Ahmedabad.