CyArk and the Scottish Ten Head to India

Historic Scotland, Glasgow School of Art, and CyArk team up to scan Rani Ki Vav

by Elizabeth Lee
October 21, 2011
The Scottish Ten team and CyArk began work scanning Rani Ki Vav stepwell in Patan, Gujarat, India this week. This project is the second international site of the Scottish Ten. The first international project was Mt. Rushmore.

Rani Ki Vav translates to "The Queen's Stepwell." It is believed that it was commissioned in 1050AD by Udaymati, Queen consort to Bhimdev I of the Solanki Dynasty. The stepwell is famous for its ornate, sculpted walls, most of them depicting Vishnu in many forms. There are various other Hindu characters, guardians and deities sculpted into the almost 400 niches that occupy the walls.

Flooded and silted over for centuries, the stepwell was covered to the top, keeping the carvings inside in pristine condition. In 1960 it was rediscovered but it wasn't until the 1980s that excavation began. Now, 30 years later it is being digitally preserved as part of the Scottish Ten. Ran Ki Vav is truely one of the most magnificent sites in India and we're honored to be a part of the project.

CyArk Founder, Ben Kacyra, is excited to see the documentation of Rani ki Vav take place.

He said: “It is my passion to digitally preserve these unique and inspiring icons of human history so that future generations may marvel at their wonder the way we do today.

“We are proud partners in the Scottish 10, which allows the story of our cultural pasts to be shared with all people and preserve the collective memory of humankind.”

The team in the field is mostly providing updates via twitter so be sure to follow @ScottishTen and @CyArk on for up-to-date photos and info from the site.

For more information check out Scottish Ten's Blog.
CDDV (Historic Scotland and the Glasgow School of Art), CyArk and Archaeological Survey of India at Rani Ki Vav. Photo courtesy of Historic Scotland.
On-site scan registration tent with CyArk's own Justin Barton. Photo courtesy of @ScottishTen.