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Delhi is strewn with numerous baolis or wells which formed an inherent part of the city’s life in the past. In an absence of any other source of water, these baolis were mostly built by the rulers and grew as pivots of the community life. Delhi housed a number of major baolis of which the Gandhak ki baoli ranks as one of the biggest. Gandhak ki baoli owes its origin to the Slave ruler Iltutmish who constructed the well to provide a continuous flow of water to the Mehrauli village. The well gets its name from the sulphur or ‘gandhak’ content in the water which was believed to be steeped in medical properties as well. Gandhak ki baoli is a huge construction spreading for five tiers with the large well at its end. The well had played a vital role, supplying water to the surrounding region for centuries. Gandhak ki baoli has considerably dried up now, and the huge structure stands today to speak of a bygone way of life. The water here too is no longer considered fit for drinking. Attempts however, are being made to circulate a fresh flow of water to the well and use it once more as a vital source of water in the region. Gandhak ki baoli today attracts numerous visitors to witness hair raising feats of the divers who jump down from the upper storeys to scoop out the coins which the visitors throw into the water. Gandhak ki baoli is located near the tomb of Adham Khan in Mahrauli Village, the seat of the first Muslim settlement in the city. The site in South Delhi is indeed an interesting site and though it has been robbed of its earlier glory, the well continues to be a popular destination for the visitors. Gandhak ki baoli can be reached from the Nizamuddin Railway Station or the Central Secretariat Metro Station. One can reach travel here in the local buses.
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