Every inch of Gujarat’s Ranki Vav(Rani ki vav or Queens stepwell) will be scanned using state-of-the-art laser technique by a group of Scottish experts this month. The project will create exact digital models of Ranki Vav to help for its conservation and maintenance.

A team of Scottish experts from Glasgow School of Art and Historic Scotland will arrive in Gujarat this week to begin the task. The process of capturing details through laser will continue for about two weeks. The project is part of a global programme by the design team to record sites of historical significance. Among the sites already scanned are New Lanark’s 18th Century mills, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and Neolithic sites in Orkney.

The site – Ranki Vav dates back to 1050. It is made up of decorated stepped terraces descending into the ground. It was built by medieval Guajrat’s Solanki era queen Udaymati in memory of her late husband Bhimdev.

Rani Ki Vav is suitable to find place in wonders of the world. It is seven-floor beneath the ground. It has only been fully excavated in the past 50 years and is currently on the UNESCO tentative list to be considered for World Heritage Site status.

The Scottish team visited India last year in August and traveled to Patan, Modhera and Champaner for final selection of the site. The team members were amazed by the beauty and elegance of Ranki Vav and selected it for scanning task.

Scotland’s Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a great collaboration with the Scottish and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on behalf of the Indian government and I am delighted that Scotland is able to provide the expertise to ensure this nationally important and breathtaking site is captured in its entirety and conserved for future generations.

“The Scottish 10 is a project which is establishing Scotland as world leader in the use of digital documentation technology, innovation and is allowing us the chance to share our knowledge in heritage conservation and preservation while capturing some the world’s most important heritage sites.”

Doug Pritchard, of the Digital Design Studio at The Glasgow School of Art, said: “The Queen’s Step Well clearly illustrates the sophistication and magnificence of Indian culture and I hope that by working with the Archaeological Survey of India we will be able to assist in conserving this structure for future generations.

The images created will be shared with the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) and American not-for-profit organization CyArk, founded by Ben Kacyra, inventor of the laser scanner. It is collecting the data from 500 world heritage landmarks to hold in a global archive.