Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar is the highest tower  in India and the world's tallest brick minaret. It is interesting to note that this complex lies amidst the ruins of ancient Hindu temples which were destroyed and their stones used to build it. The construction began in 1193 AD under India's first Muslim ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak.

                       The Qutub Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub Complex. The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delhi. It was India's most visited monument in 2006. During 2006 the monument attracted 3.9 million visitors, much more than the Taj Mahal, which drew about 2.5 million visitors. Now you know why you should visit this tall structure.

History….

The minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu  rulers of Delhi. One engraving on the minar reads, "Shri Vishwakarma prasade rachita" (Conceived with the grace of Vishwakarma). It was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak.

Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of the Qutb Minar reveal the history of its construction. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (AD 1351–88) and Sikandar Lodi(AD 1489–1517).

The Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque, located at the northeast of Minar, was built by Qutb deen Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Later, a coffee arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Iltutmish (AD 1210–35) and Alauddin Khilji.

The minar was used as a watch tower. The earliest extant mosque was built by the Delhi Sultans. Some historians believe that the minar was named after the Turkish sultan (whose descendant- Wajid Ali Shah-repaired it), Qutb-ud-din Aibak, but others contend that it was named in honour of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, a saint from Transoxiana who came to live in India and was venerated by Iltutmish.

The minar has been damaged by earthquakes and lightning strikes on several occasions but has been repaired and renovated by various rulers. During the rule of Firoz Shah, the minar's two top floors were damaged due to lightning but were repaired by Firoz Shah. In 1505, an earthquake struck and it was repaired by Sikandar Lodi. Later in 1794, the minar suffered another earthquake and it was Major Smith, an engineer, who repaired the affected parts of the minar. He replaced Firoz Shah's pavilion at the top of the tower with his own pavilion. This pavilion was removed in 1848 by Lord Hardinge and now stands between the Dak Bungalow and the Minar in the garden. The floors built by Firoz Shah can be distinguished easily as the pavilion was built of white marble and quite smooth compared to the others.

Before 1981, the general public could climb to the top up the seven-storey, narrow staircase. However, on 4 December 1981 an accident occurred when an electricity cut plunged the tower's staircase into darkness. Around 45 people were killed in the stampede that followed the electricity failure. Most of the victims were children because, before 1981, school children were allowed free access to historical monuments on Fridays, and many school groups were taking advantage of this. Subsequently, public access has been forbidden.

Architecture

The minar is made of red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an.

The minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels.

The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India.

The nearby 7 metres high Iron Pillar is a metallurgical curiosity, standing in the Qutb complex. The pillar has Brahmic inscriptions on it that predate the Islamic minar.

The minar tilts just over 60 cm from the vertical, which is considered to be within safe limits, although experts have stated that monitoring is needed in case rainwater seepage further weakens the foundation.

Qutub Minar has a diameter of 14.32 m at the base and about 2.75 m on the top with a height of 72.5 m. A flight of 379 steps lead to the top. The diameter of the base is 14.3 m, while the top floor measures 2.75 m in diameter. Surrounding the building are many fine examples of Indian artwork. A second tower was in construction and planned to be taller than the Qutub Minar itself. Its construction ended abruptly when it was about 12 m tall. The name of this tower is given as Ala-i- Minar. Recent studies show that this structure is tilted in one direction. It is made of red sandstone all the way except for two stories at the top. This part is of white marble and was made by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. He had decided to put a prominent finish to the magnificent minar.
Today, the adjoining area spread over 100 acres, with a host of old monuments, has been developed by Archeological Survey of India (ASI). The Mehrauli Archeological Park and INTACH has restored some 40 monuments in the park.
The base of the iron pillar is tied to its foundations by small pieces of iron. It rises to a height of 7.20 m, with 93 cm buried below the floor level. It is a wonder that iron has not rusted despite the sixteen centuries that have passed since then. The pillar is an excellent example of advanced metallurgy of those times and is a marvel in itself. The metal of the pillar is identified to be almost pure malleable iron. However, the portion below the ground shows some signs of rusting at a very slow rate. It is said that a person who can encircle the entire column with their arms and back towards the pillar can have their wish granted. However, tourists are kept off from the pillar to avoid damage to this historical relic.

Media in Qutub Minar :-

“Bollywood” actor and director  “Dev Anand”  wanted to shoot the song Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar from his movie “Tere Ghar Ke Samne”  inside the minar. However, the cameras in that era were too big to fit inside the tower's narrow passage, and the song was shot inside a replica of the tower instead. The site served as the pitstop of the second leg of the “second season”  of  “ The Amazing Race Australia”, the Australian version of the Emmy-winning series “The Amazing Race”. This is the first Indian monument to have an E-ticket facility. “Qutab Minar”  is the closest  “station” on the “Delhi Metro”. A picture of the minaret is featured on the Travel Cards issued by the “Delhi Metro Rail Corporation”.

Qutub Minar is the highest tower in India and the world's tallest brick minaret. It is interesting to note that this complex lies amidst the ruins of ancient Hindu temples which were destroyed and their stones used to build it. The construction began in 1193 AD  under India's first Muslim ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak.

                             The Qutub Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub Complex. The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delhi. It was India's most visited monument in 2006. During 2006 the monument attracted 3.9 million visitors, much more than the Taj Mahal, which drew about 2.5 million visitors. Now you know why you should visit this tall structure.

Attractions of Qutub Minar :-

The Qutub Complex houses several attractions within its premises.

ü The Tomb of Iltutmish:-  The Tomb of IItutmish was built in 1235 AD. It is a plain square chamber of red sandstone, profusely carved with inscriptions, geometrical and arabesque patterns in Saracenic tradition on the entrances and interiors. Some of the motifs, the wheel and tassel are reminiscent of Hindu designs.

ü Ala-i-Minar:-  The ambitious rubble Ala-i-Minar was started by Ala-ud-Din Khilji but the sultan lived to see it only to the height of 24.5m as nobody was ready to complete his over-ambitious project. It was built to match the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid. Today parents use this as an example that when you get over ambitious, the plans remain unfinished.

ü Ala-i-Darwaza:-  The southern gateway of the  “Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque”, as extended by Ala-ud-Din Khilji, is known as the Ala-i-Darwaza. Its several inscriptions form an ornamental surface. It mentions the date of its erection as 710 A.H. (1311).

ü Ala-ud-Din's Tomb and College:-  To the southwest of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque lie some rooms and halls in ruins making an L-shaped block. They are believed to represent Ala-ud-Din's tomb and college or Madrasa, which was started by him to impart instructions in Islamic theology and scriptures.

ü Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque:-  Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the northeast of the Minar was built by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak in 1198 AD. It is the earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. It consists of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns and architectural members of 27 Hindu and Jain temples, which were demolished by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription on the main eastern entrance. Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged, by Shams-ud-Din IItutmish and Ala-ud-Din Khilji.

ü The Iron Pillar: The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of 4th century AD, according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja or standard of Lord Vishnu. It is on a hill and is known as Vishnupada in memory of King Chandragupta II (375-413) of the Gupta dynasty. A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it. Situated in the courtyard of the Quwwat-ul-Islam, the Iron Pillar belongs to 4th century. It is enclosed in the Qutub Minar Complex. The Sanskrit inscription in Gupta script and the peculiar style of its 'Amalaka' capital confirms the date. It is said that the iron pillar was brought to Delhi by Anangpal, the Tomar king who founded Delhi.