S4E14: Gujarat's Stepwells

In the last episode of Season 4 (sad but true) we plunge deep into the ‘underworld’, figuratively speaking, in our final quest for fresh water.I chat to Niyati Kukadia about Gujarat’s ancient vavs, or stepwells, once vital for supplying drinking water to communities in one of India’s most arid areas. I discover that these architectural wonders were so much more than a source of water. Historically the vavs provided women with a space and the freedom to socialise away from the patriarchal gaze. Although many vavs fell out of use during the British colonial era, they are once again being looked at as a potential solution to water scarcity in this region.Show Notes* Niyati runs adventure, wildlife and cultural tours through Soar Excursions, which include visits to the Rani ki Vav (Queen’s Well) mentioned in this podcast and pictured above. You can follow Soar Excursions on YouTube and Instagram.* Niyati also runs the Dang Forest Retreat in Gujarat.* You can read about Hyderabad’s newly restored Bansilalpet stepwell in this article on the Guardian website.* Rani Ki Vav (the Queen’s stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat* India’s Forgotten Stepwells by Victoria Lautman on the Arch Daily* Robert Macfarlane’s book Is A River Alive is a troubling but important read if you want to learn more about the pollution of India’s waterways.* Much Ado About Cooking event at the British Library Food Season Big Weekend on 13 June 2026. Even if in-person tickets have sold out you can buy an online ticket.If you enjoyed the podcast you can become a paid subscriber to the Comfortably Hungry Substack (which means you’ll receive additional content) or show your appreciation by leaving a small, one off tip here. Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram or Bluesky @mrssbilton or find out more about my work on sambilton.com.A huge thank you to Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy for doing the sound mixing on this season of the podcast. Sound effects and music provided by Zapsplat and Pond5.Comfortably Hungry is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit comfortablyhungry.substack.com/subscribe