Bang in the heart of Lutyens’s New Delhi stands a medieval step-well, one of Delhi’s few surviving step-wells (and most ornate too). The Agrasen ki Baoli, or Ugrasen ki Baoli, references a King Agrasen/Ugrasen, of the Sisodia clan, who is regarded as the forefather of the Agrawal community. Agrasen/Ugrasen is believed to have built this baoli, which (given that Agrasen/Ugrasen ruled some 5,000 years ago) seems hard to believe. The baoli’s architecture, in fact, is more distinctly Lodhi in style.
The steps here number just over a hundred, and descend three levels to get down to the water (which is stagnant and filthy). On either side, similar to other step-wells such as Rajon ki Baoli, there are rows of arched cells. Just above the baoli, off to one side, is a mosque with arches and medallions of incised plaster.
No entry fee is required to enter. Try to visit on a weekday, when it’s less crowded, or if on a weekend, well before noon. Later in the day, because of the baoli’s popularity with cinema lovers (scenes from a couple of Hindi films, PK and Sultan, have been filmed here), it gets quite busy.