A steep look into stepwells of Hyderabad

Alliance Française as part of Krishnakriti Festival held an exhibition of photos on stepwells of Hyderabad on January 7 and the same has been extended till January 23, to enable more people to come and enjoy the pictures and get more information on our disappearing heritage being revived, by the Hyderabad Design Forum (HDF). The stories unfurl through the photos and descriptions.

The photographic exhibition of stepwells of Hyderabad focuses on their various typologies, architectural styles and historic information leading to an analysis of the role that Baoli’s played in the temporal, religious and cultural matrix of medieval Hyderabad. Hyderabad Design Forum is a guild of practising architects voluntarily working towards furthering design across its various verticals through academic and research programs. It previously curated an exhibition of global architectural trends, conducted neighbourhood walks for students, organised book releases and delivered customised design workshops.

HDF is currently engaged with its ongoing documentation of the of the hitherto unknown yet significant presence of stepwells across the State of Telangana through digital surveys, photographs and oral history. A book entitled ‘The Forgotten Stepwells of Telangana’ will explore hydrology, geomorphology, vaastu and agama building codes, gender roles, folklore and iconography with reference to this fascinating inverted architecture.