Walk down a quiet lane between Connaught Place’s office buildings and the city suddenly drops away. Agrasen ki Baoli is a stepwell about 60 metres long, with over a hundred steps leading down between walls of arched niches. It is one of the most surprising places in central Delhi.
A history with question marks
Tradition links the stepwell to the legendary King Agrasen, ancestor of the Agrawal community, but its architecture suggests it was rebuilt, if not built, during the Tughlaq or Lodi periods in the 14th or 15th century. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. Stepwells like this stored water through the dry months and offered a cool place to rest.
What you will see
The stone walls rise in three levels of arches as the steps descend. At the bottom there is usually little or no water today. Pigeons and bats roost in the niches, which gave the place its reputation as a haunted stepwell — a story that owes more to social media than to history.
Tips for visiting
- Weekday mornings are quiet. Weekends, especially evenings, can be crowded with visitors taking photographs.
- The steps are uneven and have no railings; wear good shoes.
- Please don’t scratch names into the walls — graffiti is the biggest threat to the monument.
- Combine it with Jantar Mantar, Bangla Sahib and a meal in Connaught Place for an easy half-day.
