India's graceful stepwells stay afloat during the pandemic

It looked like a subterranean temple.

After descending more than 100 weathered steps, until I was well below the throbbing streets of Delhi, I found myself staring up at a large, magnificent structure.

About 20m deep, Agrasen Ki Baoli is decorated by dozens of stone arches, spread across three levels, which together create a mesmerising symmetry.

But this gorgeous 700-year-old piece of architecture is not a religious or royal structure. It is a mere water well.

In the 1800s, India boasted thousands of these impressive stepwells, known as "baoli". They helped to collect water for drinking, bathing, washing and irrigation, while also showcasing the artistry and ingenuity of the Indian people.

Then, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the occupying British demolished huge numbers of these wells due to a belief that they spread disease. Most of the baolis that were not destroyed were later abandoned as they were seen as antiquated sources of water.

But now the Indian authorities are restoring several surviving baolis in Delhi and Hyderabad, some up to 1,000 years old, to preserve their heritage and boost water infrastructure amid the pandemic.

As India navigates waves of Covid-19, engineers and craftsmen in Delhi and Hyderabad are driving the baoli restorations.

I somehow overlooked Agrasen Ki Baoli on my first few visits to Delhi.

It is not well advertised. The Indian capital brims with remarkable historic sites, from grand forts to majestic mosques to monumental tombs, so it is understandable that a stepwell does not garner fanfare, no matter how beautiful.

Which is partly why I was stunned by Agrasen Ki Baoli when I finally stopped there.

What had attracted me to this well initially was not its architecture - I had not known it was so handsome - but rather an eerie tale.

The day before I went to Agrasen Ki Baoli, I visited the 14th-century Delhi fort of Feroz Shah Kotla, supposedly home to Arab demons blamed for creating Covid-19.

In Arabic mythology, these hostile spirits known as jinn are believed to sometimes curse Muslims, and last year Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said they had caused the pandemic.

It was while researching those jinn that I learnt about the spirits linked to Agrasen Ki Baoli.

According to local legend, when darkness falls, demons lure visitors down the well's steps and then drag them into the water to drown. I made sure to visit in the daylight.

Not only did the sunshine allay my fears, but it also illuminated the intricate stonework of this underground structure, one of the best preserved of its kind in India.

Unique to the Indian subcontinent and dating back 2,400 years, baolis were typically funded by royal or wealthy families. These wells were built deep into the earth to ensure access to water tables even during drought.

Their shady, cool environments meant they were also getaways from the heat for travelling pilgrims and caravans, or even used as impromptu prayer halls.

Baolis were often located near mosques or temples so worshippers could clean themselves in their pools, which were separate from the drinking wells.

Those water bodies were accessed via staircases which, along with being functional, heightened the beauty of wells like Agrasen Ki Baoli.

Soon, that particular stepwell will be even more attractive. It is one of several Delhi baolis being restored under a project overseen by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the country's chief body for preserving historic sites.

The first stage of this scheme is focusing on three stepwells - Agrasen Ki Baoli, Purana Qila Baoli and Red Fort Baoli.

Red Fort Baoli is located within a world-renowned tourist attraction, the Unesco World Heritage-listed Red Fort - which most Singaporean visitors to Delhi would head to.

A small but pretty baoli sits in the sprawling grounds of this colossal sandstone castle, which was built nearly 400 years ago and dominates the city's tourist-magnet Old Town area.

Far fewer travellers visit the similarly large and ancient Purana Qila fort. The ASI has been excavating this 16th-century fort to locate the 3,000-year-old lost city of Indraprastha, which was the capital of a grand Indian kingdom. No luck, so far, but perhaps clues will emerge during the restoration of Purana Qila's baoli.

While Agrasen Ki Baoli is believed to have been constructed by Agrasen, a Hindu king, the Purana Qila and Red Fort stepwells were built by Islamic rulers.

So, too, were many of the baolis currently being rejuvenated in Hyderabad. That city was founded in 1591 by the Islamic Qutb Shahi dynasty and is now the capital of Telangana state.

More than 100 baolis remain in Telangana in various states of decay. The Telangana government recently announced an ambitious plan to restore all of Hyderabad's surviving stepwells. The first to get makeovers are the baolis in Bapu Ghat, Gachibowli and Koka.

Some of Hyderabad's baolis are probably beyond repair, the government has conceded. That is a great pity. But at least India's astonishing stepwells are finally being remembered.

After generations of neglect, the pandemic has helped to rekindle passion and respect for these once crucial pieces of infrastructure. India's baolis are still magnificent and they are on the comeback.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, free travel between Singapore and India remains suspended, apart from repatriation flights. For updates, go to the Singapore Government's Safe Travel website.

• Ronan O'Connell is an Australian travel journalist currently based in Ireland.