Khan-i-Khanan Baoli

The Khan-i-Khanan Baoli is a historic stepwell located within Bayana Fort in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district. Built in 1497 AD by Khan-i-Khanan Farmuli, governor of Sultan Sikandar Lodi, this architectural structure features a bilingual inscription in Persian and Sanskrit. The stepwell represents an important example of water management architecture from the Lodi dynasty period and is part of the ASI-protected Ancient Fort with its Monuments complex.

Visitors can explore the historic stepwell structure within the expansive Bayana Fort complex. The baoli features traditional stepwell architecture with descending steps leading to water storage areas. The site includes remnants of a bilingual Persian-Sanskrit inscription that provides historical context. Visitors can view the surrounding fort structures including towers, gateways, and other monuments spread across the hilltop location.

The stepwell was constructed in 1497 AD by Khan-i-Khanan Farmuli, who served as Sultan Sikandar Lodi's governor of Bayana. The structure is documented by a bilingual epigraph in Sanskrit and Persian, indicating the cultural synthesis during the Lodi dynasty period. It represents one of the surviving monuments from the Lodi era and demonstrates advanced water management architecture of medieval India.

The bilingual Persian-Sanskrit inscription reflects the regard of Pashtun rulers for the Hindu population of Bayana. The stepwell likely served both utilitarian and ceremonial purposes, providing water access while demonstrating architectural patronage during the Delhi Sultanate period.