{"product_id":"to-reach-the-source-the-stepwells-of-india-9781961856349","title":"To Reach the Source: The Stepwells of India","description":"\u003cb\u003eA photography book about a unique and magnificent architectural form that remains unknown to most people outside (and even within) India.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eWith steps leading down to the water's edge, stepwells are inverted buildings that descend several stories below ground. Often, they are as monumental and ornate as a church, and this is intentional. They are a source of water, a gathering space, and a temple all at once. Stepwells create a visual and spatial experience unlike any other, in which the below-ground remains connected to the sun and sky above. There are thousands of stepwells across the Indian Subcontinent, many of them 500-1,000 years old, each one different from the other. Most lie abandoned and overlooked, in varying states of preservation or, more often, disrepair, but they remain beautiful and compelling. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe 48 photographs in this book were made across India to convey the beauty and diversity of these structures and the striking ambiances they elicit. A brief text accompanies the images to provide history and context, interspersed with several architectural drawings by Tanvi Jain. The images seek to give readers a sense of what it feels like to immerse oneself in such a unique, meditative space, and to be impelled towards the very source of life: water.\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Oro Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51184703635730,"sku":"9781961856349","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_b0bdf2d2-30a3-4195-acf6-0a85c5db40d0.jpg?v=1744568729","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/to-reach-the-source-the-stepwells-of-india-9781961856349","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}