Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir (Well) is a unique stepwell with Bhamani styled architecture located in Karad city, Maharashtra. This structure has beauty as well as usability. It was a part of Pantacha Kot Fort of Karad which is no longer in existence. If you are travelling to Karad or going nearby, this place is a quick getaway. You must visit if you like ancient architecture and history.

After seeing the Baramotichi Vihir in Satara , I fell in love with step-wells and wanted to see more. Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir stood out to me because it is so geometric and beautiful. And it is also closer to my home city – Pune.

This is day 6 out of my 21 day Maharashtra tour.

Quick details of Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir (Well)

• Where: Karad city
• Accessibility and safety: Not accessible to wheelchairs, and unsafe for kids.
• Timings: The nearby locals told me the gate is always locked. So we have to jump the gates.
• Food: There are several food stalls near the Pritisangam garden located 5 min walk from here.

How to reach Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir

You should take your own bike or car to reach here. But there is no parking area close to the stepwell. You may have to park your vehicle a bit farther from the well. If you want to come by public transport, come to Karad bus stop, and then take an auto-rickshaw from there.

• Pune to Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir: 164 km or 3 hours.
• Mumbai to Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir: 307 km or 5 hours
• Satara to Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir: 52 km or 1 hour.
• Kolhapur to Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir: 74 km or 1.5 hours.

The gates were locked!

I took a quick stop in Karad, just to see this Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir. And to my dismay when I reached here its gates were locked. I am not a person who would give up that easily. I started asking about it to people who live nearby. And one grandpa who lives right next to the stepwell gate told me that it is always locked. And the only way to go inside would be to jump the gates.

He turned out to be a historian and he told me a lot of information about this well which I would otherwise never know. Thanks to the locked gates, I got to know him. And later I jumped over the nearby fence to see this stepwell from the inside.

Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir

This stepwell Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir is located at the western end of the Pantacha Kot fort in Karad city. It is about 75 feet above the Koyna river basin. It is rectangular in shape with dimensions 120 x 90 feet. The area of this stepwell is 1111 sq meters. The construction of this well is very geometric. But towards the northeast, there is a circular platform. There are stairs to get down to the water inside the stepwell. These are a total of 82 steps and after every 20 steps, there is a slightly large landing or a platform. At the end are two huge stone pillars that meet in the most beautiful arch.

Architecture of Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir

This structure represents the architecture of the Bhamani period. The beautiful arches inside the well reminded me of Mughal architecture. The ingenious grooves carved on the walls inside the stepwell were used to support huge wooden shelves. This stepwell was also a storage facility. At the time of a siege, they would hide food and ammunition here and then cover it with planks. This is the most unique feature of this stepwell. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had laid a siege to this fort for 3 months and later won it from the Mughals.

Who built Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir?

According to a myth this step-well was built by a devil called Naktya Ravlya in one single night. And that’s how it is named. But the historians believe this to be a piece of Mughal architecture as there are no carvings or idols of gods inside.

Pantacha Kot Fort

During the rule of the Bhamani dynasty, a large fort was constructed at Karad. This is commonly called Pantancha Kot fort. The actual fort no longer exists but the ancient fortification can be seen near the confluence of Krishna and Koyna river. You can also find one or two turrets in the city which were a part of this fort.

Krishna Koyna Pritisangam

If you have come to Karad to see the Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir (Well), you should go and see the Pritisangam too. Krishna Koyna Prtisangam is the most beautiful natural wonder on the banks of which Karad city is situated. This is a confluence of the two rivers, which is surrounded by a pretty garden. Pritisangam garden is just a 5 minute walk from the Naktya Ravlyachi Vihir.

Interestingly, I was camping near Krishna river in Wai a few days back. And I was in Koynanagar for the last two days. And just this morning I had tried fishing in the Koyna river in Koynanagar!

Krishna Ghat

There are several temples dedicated to different gods and goddesses here. The ghat is beautiful with carved stone steps leading down to the river. This is also the place where all the mouth-watering food stalls are located. It is very close to Pritisangam.

Other Places to visit near Karad

• Sadashivgad fort
• Khodashi dam

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