NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JAN 23
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s younger brother is in Delhi as part of the Republic Day tableau team from Gujarat, officials said on Wednesday.
Pankaj Modi on Wednesday interacted with the media during an event held at the Delhi Cantonment where various tableaux for the January 26 parade were unveiled.
“Our Gujarat tableau will showcase the state’s architectural and cultural heritage. The main piece will be the Rani Ki Vav of Patan, and it will be fronted by a statue of a village woman wearing Patola saree of the region. We are very delighted and excited to represent our culture on the Rajpath,” he said.
Rani Ki Vav or Queen’s Stepwell was built by Rani Udayamati as a memorial to her husband King Bhimdev I in the 11th century in Patan district and it was added into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.
A senior official said Pankaj Modi is a senior officer in the Gujarat government’s Information Department and has travelled to Delhi in that capacity.
Rani Ki Vav
”Rani ki Vav — Jal Mandir” (Queen’s Stepwell) is a unique piece of ancient Indian architecture, construction and craftsmanship, located in Patan city.
The Rani ki Vav, an UNESCO world heritage site, highlights the rich and beautiful tradition of the Gujarati culture and is a distinct example of complex architectural technique.
According to the fable, the Rani ki Vav was built in 1083 by Rani Udayamati in memory of her husband King Bhimdev-I, son of Mulraj, founder of the Solanki dynasty.
A fine example of water management, the stepwell was an important source of water for the surrounding villages. “It’’s designed as an inverted temple, which was also used as a community engagement site. The central theme is the ”Dasavatara”, the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu,” said an official.
The descending stairs pass through the corridors, made of columns, at each of the seven levels. The cold winds can be felt while descending through the stairs at the stepwell.
The front part of the tableau will have a village woman carrying water in an earthen pot and the stepwell in the middle with corridor and stairs with pillars spreading to the end.
“Statues of Buddha and Devi will be in the middle wall. Artists will be portraying paniharis, who provided water to villagers,” the official said.
