Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, the spouse of the 11th-century Chaulukya king Bhima I. Silted over, it was rediscovered in the 1940s and restored in the 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India.

[2]: 84 Prabandha-Chintamani, composed by the Jain monk Merutunga in 1304, mentions: "Udayamati, the daughter of Naravaraha Khengara, built this novel stepwell at Shripattana (Patan) surpassing the glory of the Sahasralinga Tank".

Commissariat puts the date of construction to 1032 based on the architectural similarity to Vimalavasahi temple on Mount Abu built in the same year.

[6] In the 1890s, Henry Cousens and James Burgess visited it when it was completely buried under the earth and only the well shaft and few pillars were visible.

Rani ki vav is considered to be one of the finest and largest examples of stepwell architecture in Gujarat.

It was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architecture style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and a beauty of detail and proportions.

[3] There are more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor ones, often referencing literary works in combination with religious, symbolic and secular imagery.

[1] The ornamentation of the stepwell depicts the entire universe inhabited by gods and goddesses, celestial beings, men and women, monks, priests and laity; animals, fish and birds including seen and unseen ones, as well as plants and trees.

These include gods such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Kubera, Lakulisha, Bhairava, Surya, Indra and Hayagriva and goddesses like Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati, Chamunda, Kshemankari, Suryani, the Saptamatrikas and Durga (as Mahishasurmardini).

One sculpture of an Apsara depicts her either applying lip paint or chewing on an aromatic twig while a man is attending to her feet.

There are also sculptures of Nagkanya (a serpent princess) with long hair and a swan, as well as depictions of celestial dancers in classical dance positions.

The women in these sculptures are adorned with jewelry, including bangles, earrings, necklaces, waist girdles, anklets, and elegant clothes and well-combed hair.

[8] Kalpavriksha carvings on the wall represent fertility and nature worship, while kirtimukhas and makaras adorn the basements and capitals of pillars.