An inside look at Kailasa Temple at the Elora Caves, Aurangabad district in Maharashtra (central west India)

Chand Baori, Rajasthan (India)

Chand Baori is a large stepwell (baori) about 30m deep into the ground, among the largest in the country, that lies at the village of Abhaneri in the state of Rajasthan, northeastern India.

Tradition has that it was named after a local ruler named Raja Chanda of the Nikumbh dynasty but no relative inscription or the like has been found about it by way of evidence to substantiate that.

Architectural style and carvings, in light of similarities to the terraced temples of Paranagar and Mandore, suggest that it was likely constructed around the 8th or 9th century AD while it features an upper palace building that was added much later to the site.

On top of it, the baori contains no less than 3500 narrow steps down a cascading 13 stories in remarkable symmetry, featuring a number of arched pavillions on the north side, and was intended as a water reserve for the locals amidst the arid land of Rajasthan.