Warangal: Historic stepwell Metla Bavi to be spruced up

Warangal: The historic multi-storeyed stepwell, also known as Metla Bavi, Anthasthulu Bavi in the local parlance, at Shiva Nagar in Warangal, is all set to get a facelift in the near future.

The stepwell, one of the architectural marvels of the Kakatiya dynasty (AD 1083 and 1323), was in a state of total neglect covered with bushes until historians like Aravind Arya Pakide brought to the notice of the then district collector Amrapali Kata in 2017. Then the authorities took up the restoration of the 12X12 meter (on surface) stepwell that was full of mud and refuse. It may be mentioned here that the heritage structure, believed to be the swimming pool of Rani Rudrama Devi, was not listed under the protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

According to the locals, the depth of the well is unknown and it never dried up. The locals also say that the square-shaped stepwell has a secret tunnel through which the queen’s entourage used to access it from Fort Warangal, which is barely a couple of kilometers away. Against this backdrop, MA&UD Minister K T Rama Rao received a tweet from a denizen, Thota Mahesh, seeking development of the stepwell on the lines of Metla Bavi at Bansilalpet in Secunderabad. KTR re-tweeted it to the Warangal district collector P Pravinya, advising her to take necessary steps to restore the stepwell.

Pravinya along with Mayor Gundu Sudharani and conservation architect Kalpana Ramesh of The Rainwater Project visited the stepwell on Tuesday and discussed the measures to be taken to develop the heritage structure. It may be noted here that Kalpana Ramesh led the restoration work of the stepwell at Bansilalpet in Secunderabad. It is learnt that the development works will start with the de-silting of the stepwell. The Collector sought a proposal from the technical team before they launched the development works. Meanwhile, the local heritage enthusiasts who expressed happiness over the development sought the authorities to ensure heritage values in the development of stepwell instead of sprucing it up in modern ways. They also urged the administration to develop a park close to the stepwell.