The Ugrasen ki Baoli or the Agrasen ki Baoli has a lot of stories associated with it. Here’s how I got people to talk about them.
Agrasen ki Baoli is one of the oldest baolis located in Delhi. It was built in the Mahabharata era by King Ugrasen. Baoli’s were widely used for water storage during the ancient epochs of Indian culture. This baoli is a step-well with 108 steps and is 7 centuries old.
The Event
My friends and I met at Barakhamba Road metro station to the baoli. I co-hosted a #makeheritagefun event at the Ugrasen ki Baoli through social media and joined it as a volunteer with the host, Medha Dhall.
The event involved a unique re-telling of the oral histories related to the site. The baoli is visited by college students and youngsters every day. The Bollywood movies PK and Sultan feature the baoli, and this has made this a famous hangout spot for movie buffs too.
The #makeheritagefun event was organised on 25th June from 3-5 pm. We carried posters to make people aware of the campaign and to share information about the baoli. We met enthusiastic people who belonged to different states, and wanted to hear more about the site.
Image Courtesy: Chayan Dhall
Sharing Urban Legends
Although the Agrasen ki Baoli is a famous heritage site, people are unaware of it’s history. We took this task of sharing what information we gathered from the internet and other local sources.
The Baoli, according to popular oral traditions, is haunted. The locals have passed on tales from generation to generation of people jumping and committing suicide in the dark waters of the baoli. According to news reports, there have rarely been such incidents. But the stories around the baoli has definitely made it seem mysterious.
Image Courtesy: Chayan Dhall
The event was interactive in nature. We encouraged local visitors to share their knowledge of the baoli. We spurred up a discussion that debated the oral histories associated with the baoli. Our aim through this was to make heritage fun, and I think we successfully achieved it!
