{"product_id":"to-reach-the-source-the-stepwells-of-india-hardcover","title":"To Reach the Source: The Stepwells of India - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eClaudio Cambon\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\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. \u003c\/p\u003e\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\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 9.3 x 11.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 21, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47475810042034,"sku":"9781961856349","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/60e213f62748345bd9b02b1acbcb3c8d.webp?v=1779175646","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/to-reach-the-source-the-stepwells-of-india-hardcover","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}