Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat

Rani-ki-Vav at Patan is a temple turned upside down. Sunk beside the Saraswati River in the 11th century as a royal memorial, the Queen's Stepwell descends through seven levels of stairs lined with more than 500 major sculptures and over a thousand smaller ones, reaching a tank 23 metres below ground. It represents the summit of Maru-Gurjara craftsmanship — and the sanctity of water made architecture. UNESCO inscribed the stepwell in 2014.