Agrasen ki Baoli

Lower your voice: you've just stepped into another century. A stone's throw from the offices of Connaught Place, this stepwell, or baoli, drops 108 steps to the bottom. It measures about 60 metres long and 15 wide.

1Water for a city far from its river

Stepwells are an invention of northern and western India. They let people reach groundwater as the level fell during the dry season. They were also cool places to gather in the height of summer, when temperatures climb above 40 degrees. Notice how the air changes as you go down.

2Who built it?

No document tells us. Judging by its architecture, with arches and niches in the Sultanate style, experts believe it was built or rebuilt in the 14th century, under the Tughlaqs or the Lodis. Its name recalls Agrasen, a legendary king whom the Agarwal community regards as its ancestor. According to tradition, they were the ones who first built it.

Today it's a monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and a film set: scenes from Bollywood films such as "PK" (2014) were shot here.

Beneath the Delhi of glass and concrete there's still a city that reached for water with staircases.

Over the years the place has also picked up a reputation for being haunted, with stories of black water that "called" to people. These are recent urban legends with no basis at all.

3What to look for

• The three tiers of arches flanking the steps.
• The circular well at the bottom.
• The small mosque on the west side.