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STEPWELL · ROCK-CUTAdi Kadi Vav
An extraordinary stepwell inside Uparkot Fort, cut straight down through solid rock — wrapped in the haunting legend of two girls, Adi and Kadi.
A stairway hewn from the rock
Within the walls of Uparkot Fort lies one of India’s most unusual stepwells: the Adi Kadi Vav. Unlike the ornate, masonry-built stepwells found elsewhere in Gujarat, this one was hewn directly down through solid rock — a long, narrow flight of well over a hundred steps descending between sheer stone walls to the water far below.
Cut in the medieval period to secure the fort’s water through long sieges, it has a raw, austere drama quite unlike the carved vavs of Patan or Adalaj.
It is wrapped, too, in a poignant local legend: that when the well yielded no water, two young girls named Adi and Kadi were sacrificed, after which the springs at last flowed — and their names have clung to the well ever since. Atmospheric and a little eerie, the Adi Kadi Vav is one of Uparkot’s most memorable and haunting sights.
The rock-cut Adi Kadi Vav.
From a riverside experiment to the road to freedom
A siege-proof water source.
The vav is cut straight down through the fort's rock.
It secures water for Uparkot through long sieges.
Two girls, Adi and Kadi, give the well its name.
A haunting, much-visited stepwell within the fort.
Reasons to make the time
Rock-cut
Carved straight from living rock.
120+ steps
A deep, narrow stone descent.
Siege water
The fort's lifeline in war.
Adi-Kadi legend
A poignant, eerie tale.
Raw drama
Austere, unlike carved vavs.
Inside Uparkot
Part of the great fort.
What to look for inside
Rock-cut steps
The deep stone descent.
To the water
The well far below.
How to spend an hour or two
Find it in the fort
It lies within Uparkot's walls.
Descend the steps
Walk down the rock-cut stair.
Hear the legend
The tale of Adi and Kadi.
Feel the drama
The sheer, austere walls.
Mind your step
The steps are steep and worn.
Pair with Navghan
See the spiral well nearby.
Steps between sheer rock walls.
A slot carved into the earth
The Adi Kadi Vav is a ‘cut’ stepwell rather than a built one: instead of assembling carved stone, its makers excavated a long, straight, narrow trench and stairway directly into the rock of the Uparkot plateau, descending to the water table.
There is almost no ornament — the power is in the raw geology and the sheer scale of the cutting, a flight of well over a hundred steps plunging between high stone walls into cool shadow. It is engineering as drama, born of the simple, urgent need for water in a besieged fort.
Hewn from solid rock
120+ steep steps
Sheer unadorned walls
A siege-era water source
When to go
Cool and clear — ideal for the fort and its stepwells.
Lush surrounds; stepwell steps can be slippery.
Hot above — but the rock-cut depths stay cool.
⏰ Combine it with Navghan Kuvo and the Buddhist caves on one Uparkot visit; wear good shoes for the steps.
Timings & entry
- Open during Uparkot Fort hours
- Reached on the fort visit
- Steps are steep and worn — take care
- Allow about 30 minutes
- Covered by the Uparkot Fort ticket
- Wear good shoes for the descent
- Mind slippery steps in monsoon
- See it with Navghan Kuvo nearby
Getting there
By Air
Keshod Airport (~40 km) is nearest.
By Rail
Junagadh station is a short ride away.
In the Fort
Inside Uparkot, central Junagadh.
Shooting the vav
ROCK & DEPTH
A stairway plunging into stone
What to shoot
The long descending stairway.
Walls
The sheer rock-cut sides.
Mood
Light fading into the depths.
Angle
Shoot down the slot for drama.
Know before you go
More to see close by
Girnar Jain Temples
Marble temple cluster high on the mountain
Navghan Kuvo
Birdlife and still water below the massif
Uparkot Fort
◐ Stepwells & ramparts
Uparkot Buddhist Caves
A pillared mosque within the old fort
Jama Masjid, Uparkot
A pillared mosque within the old fort
Gir’s Edge
Lion-country safaris begin just south of the city
Where to eat around the ashram
Kathiawadi Thali
Rotla, kadhi, shaak and ghee-rich fare.
Ganthiya & farsan
Saurashtra's beloved fried snacks.
Chaat & kachori
Bustling old-city bazaar bites.
Kesar mangoes
Junagadh's Girnar-grown Kesar mango is famed (summer).
Adi Kadi Vav FAQ
What is the Adi Kadi Vav?
A rock-cut stepwell inside Uparkot Fort, hewn straight down through solid rock.
What's the legend?
That two girls, Adi and Kadi, were sacrificed so the well would yield water.
How deep is it?
Over a hundred steps descend to the water far below.
Where is it?
Within Uparkot Fort in Junagadh.
Is there a separate fee?
It's covered by the Uparkot Fort ticket.
How is it different from other vavs?
It's cut from raw rock, austere rather than ornately carved.
How long does it take?
About 30 minutes.
What's nearby?
Navghan Kuvo and the Buddhist caves.
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