• Know about and see pictures of this well-maintained step well in Penukonda Fort.

See pictures of stepwell at Kashi Viswanatha temple i.e. inside Penukonda Fort. The fort is 76 km south of Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and 141 km north of Bengaluru.

The step well was built around 14^th Century CE during Vijayanagar rule.  

Structured in multiple levels, decorated with carvings of different animals and motifs, this step well is magnificent and intact–thanks to maintenance by Archaeological Department.

We were at awe thinking about the planning, execution prowess of those times with little mechanical enablement!

To read about Penukonda Excerpts from this Deccan Chronicle article, “Penukonda was the second capital of Sri Krishnadevaraya. It continued to be the capital after the fall of Hampi. This fort was one of the best defences of the Vijayanagara kingdom. With the decline of the Vijayanagara kingdom, the Sultan of Golconda captured this fort. Later, the Mysore kingdom captured this fort briefly until the British overtook after the fall of Tipu Sultan.”

See pictures of the step well below.

Also read-Abhaneri Step-well Wonder of the World Jaipur, under the moonlight

Most step wells if not all are part of a temple complex or attached to a temple. In Tamil Nadu, found temple tanks (that are huge) not step wells (correct me if wrong). There are step wells in Maharashtra too, not so known though.

Step wells are a traditional form of water harvesting. Hope the government examines their utility in contemporary India and if found suitable makes step wells in a contemporary design.  

Pictures 1 to 4 by author. This article was first published on author's blog and is republished with permission. 

Also see albums of step-wells across India 

1. Chand Baori Jaipur     

2. Hampi Water system, Karnataka

3. Baoris Bundi, Rajasthan

4. Rani-ka-vav Patan, Gujarat – is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

5. Adalaj-vav Amdavad, Gujarat

6. Kannur, Kerala

7. Panna Meena-ka-kund Jaipur