Open Daily 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
- Fort Rd, Toli Chowki, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500008, India
- Visit
The grandest stepwell amongst all the others at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park is the Baoli south of the Idgah. L shaped in plan, the Idgah Baoli is built with hand dressed granite stones with an archway access to it on the south side.
The facades on the archway are decorated with intricate lime stucco. On the south side of the baoli is a large projecting ramp - built in lime concrete and supported by decorative projecting arch below it. A series of pipes and aqueducts from the ramp lead into the landscape.
The Idgah Baoli, the grandest of all the stepwells at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, had fallen into disrepair. Although the structure itself was relatively stable, many dressed stones from the access steps and retaining walls were missing, leaving several large blocks dangerously out of plumb. Material decay had affected the alignment of these stone blocks, and many had collapsed. A vaulted structure filled with excess earth and vegetation, was discovered on the eastern side. The ornate details on the façade of vaulted gateway on the east side were also decayed due to vegetation growth and algae deposition over time. The earth levels surrounding the structures had already altered the original profile of the stepwell.
The conservation efforts at the Idgah Baoli focused on restoring missing or damaged stone elements and preserving the structure's original character. Over 120 large granite stone blocks were cut to size and hand-dressed by a team of craftsmen , matching the existing masonry, and installed in the missing portions of the retaining walls. Missing or damaged stone from the steps, were restored or repaired, as required - matching the original stone blocks.The missing stone element at the ramp was also hand-carved and restored. The stucco medallions on the domed entrance chamber, which had suffered from decay, were carefully restored by skilled lime craftsmen.
To enhance water collection, an additional catchment area was created by linking the garden of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah’s mausoleum to the west of the baoli. This improvement allowed the stepwell to fill to the brim during the monsoons of 2021, revitalizing its historic function as a water reservoir.
The conservation of Idgah Baoli has had a significant impact on both the local environment and community. The stepwell's impressive 18-meter-high granite walls and its capacity to store over 2.8 million liters of water have been instrumental in irrigating the ecological zone abutting Idgah on the east, the historic orchards within Ibrahim Qutb Shah's Mausoleum, and portions of the southwestern ecological zone at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park.
The necropolis was considered a significant sacred space, conservation works such at the Idgah and the attached Idgah Baoli have led to over 100,000 worshipers, from across the city of Hyderabad, gather here for the two Eid celebrations.
Once a ditch filled with debris and garbage, the Eastern Baoli has been conserved and can now store 2.5 million liters of rainwater. The stored water has been instrumental in landscaping and conservation efforts at the Heritage Park.
