Madha Vav

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There are two inscriptions in the stepwell. The Sanskrit inscription states that it was built by Madhav and Keshav, the Nagar Brahmin minister brothers in the court of Karandev II of Vaghela dynasty in 1294 (Vikram Samvat 1350) in honour of his parents. The second inscription, which is much eroded, tells about Lashamidevi (Lakshamidevi), daughter of Nagar Brahmin minister Sodhal; and Sindhu, son of Soma who were probably the parents of Madhav. The stepwell is now state protected monument but is not maintained well.

According to legend, the stepwell was dry for twelve years after its construction. The royal astrologer predicted the need of sacrifice by an ideal couple for water in the stepwell. The prince and her wife agreed for welfare of people even though they had an infant. They descended the stepwell in bridal clothes. As they reached the seventh step, the stepwell filled with water and they drowned. They sacrifice ensured water in the stepwell.

Wiki

There are two old step-wells in Wadhwan, constructed in the style so prevalent in Gujarat, Rajputana, and Kathiawad, and even beyond the borders of these provinces. That known as the Madhav Vav is a good example It is in the north-west of the town, a little way inside the Lakha Pol (gate). The plan and section upon Plate LVIII will explain the arrangement better than description. It descends in six ﬂights of steps, each separated from the next by a broad landing, the whole series of flights being in one straight line. Over each landing; rises a pyramidal roof supported upon four pilasters built against the side walls of the well; and. as each flight of steps descends, the pillared storeys, between the landing and the roof. increase in number from one at the top to six at the bottom, in order to bring all the roofs to one level above. As the water rises in the well, some of the lower ones become submerged, but the water is always. bv this arrangement easily reached at whatever level it may be. At the top of the round well-shaft at the far end are arrangements, supported upon carved brackets, for drawing up water, in leathern bags for irrigation purposes.

At the entrance, under the canopy of the first landing, a screen wall, with a doorway through it, is thrown across the well, and this is profusely sculptured. In the walls, upon either side, at intervals in the descend, are sculptured niches holding groups of images which are very much mutilated. Among these are representations of the saptamatra, or Seven Mothers, the navagraha, or Nine Planets, the dasaavatata, or ten incarnations of Vishnu, the triad of the gods Brahma, Siva, and Vishnu, and Vishnu reclining upon Sesha. Beneath some of the sculptures are short lines of inscriptions, but they are too much defaced to be decipherable. From one, however, we can make out the date Sam. 1350, and the name of Nagar Sidhu, son of Soma and Lashami (Lakshmi), daughter of Sodhala. The decorative work upon this well is by no means so delicately wrought as upon the little shrine of Ranik Devi, and shows a considerable falling off since that time. The perforated screen-work is such as we find later on in the mosques and tombs at Ahmadabad, of which the Muhammadans were particularly fond.

From SOMNATHA AND OTHER MEDIAEVAL TEMPLES IN KATHIAWAD By Henry Cousens (1931) - Source

There are turtles in the vav. I managed to get a pic of one - I had to sit still for more than 40 mins on the lower steps of the vav :-) Pic below.

It's not possible to get to the rear of the vav (at the top) since the neighboring houses have surrounded the vav. However a resident of one of the houses kindly allowed me into the backyard of their house so that I could see the vav at the back. Pics below.