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The highest stone tower in India, the Qutub Minar
was built by Qutbuddin Aibak, the viceroy of
Mohammed Ghori in 1192. It was built to celebrate
Ghori's victory over the Rajputs. The tower and the
victory are very significant, because both heralded
the birth of a new dynasty - Slave Dynasty.
And it laid the foundations of the Delhi Sultanate.
And the rest, as one would put it after witnessing
this monumental tower, was history.
The Minar is a five-storey building with a height
of 72.5 metres. The first storey of the Qutb Minar
was completed in the lifetime of Qutbuddin. His son-in-law
and successor, Iltumush, added the next three
storeys.
Within the complex, is the famous Iron Pillar
which has stood for millennia without rusting, Quwwat-ul-Islam,
the first mosque built in India, and the Alai Darwaza,
the gateway to the complex erected by Alauddin
Khilji. The entry to the Minar has been closed,
after the tower became infamous for the several suicides
that were committed here.
Qutb Minar is a successful tribute to architecture,
as it captures one's attention by its sheer mass appeal.
Even on close encounter, the attention lingers, owing
to the delicate and almost ethereal carvings.
Address: Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgaon
Road
Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
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The 7.2 metre high pillar, standing within the Qutb
Minar complex, is a proof of India's advanced knowledge
of metallurgy 2000 years ago. For it continues to
stand, even today, rust-free. The pillar was erected
sometime between the 4th and 5th century AD as a Dhavaja-stambha
(flagpole) of a Vishnu temple.
It was erected in memory of King Chandragupta Vikramamditya
who ruled from 375 to 413 AD. The Sanskrit
inscriptions on the pillar record these facts. Unbelievable,
considering today, even the spoons in our kitchens
cannot guarantee this kind of an immortality after
centuries of scientific progress!
Another thing one has to do after laying one's sight
on this pillar is, to go and give it a bear hug. Besides
the metallurgic excellence, it is believed that hugging
the pillar will make all of one's wishes come true.
So… go, see and hug!
Address: Qutb Minar Complex, Mehrauli,
Delhi-Gurgoan Road Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
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