Qutub Minar and its Monuments
Located a few kilometres to the south of central Delhi, is the sprawling complex housing one of the capital’s best-known landmarks, the Qutub Minar. Impressively ornate and beautifully calligraphed, this soaring tower of medieval vintage attracts many visitors from all across the globe. Though known primarily for the tower, the complex contains several other monuments like the Alai Darwaza, Alai Minar, Iltutmish’s tomb, Alauddin Khalji’s tomb and madrasa, and the Iron Pillar.
Inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan and wishing to surpass it, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced construction of the Qutb Minar in 1193, but could only complete its base. His successor, Iltutmish, added three more storeys and, in 1368, Firuz Shah Tughluq constructed the fifth and the last storey. The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quite evident in the minaret.
The Qutab Minar, apart from being a marvel in itself, is also significant for what it represents in the history of Indian culture. In many ways, the Qutab Minar, the first monument of Muslim rule in India, heralded the beginning of a new style of art and architecture that came to be known as the Indo-Islamic style.
Any write-up on the Qutab Minar will be incomplete without mentioning the 4th-century Iron Pillar, 7.2 m high, and 37 cm in diameter, which stands in the courtyard of the Quuwat-ul-Islam mosque. This pillar, with its distinctly Hindu inscriptions from the Gupta period, is said to have been transported here, but its origins remain a mystery. Another mystifying factor is that despite being exposed to the elements, the pillar has remained rust-free.
According to popular belief, anyone who stands with his back to the pillar and encircles it with his arms will have his wish granted. One can see visitors to the Qutab Minar trying their luck at the pillar. |
 |
