Get the view of Largest tower & a Unique Iron Pillar of India.
13 km to the south of Connaught Circus at Lalkote of 8th century Tomor Rajputs, the 72.5 m high Victory Pillar stands as a victory stand of a Muslim King Kutub-ud-din-Aibak in India. At Kila Roy Pithora, on the dilapidated fort of the last Hindu king Prithwiraj, this victory stand was made like throne in Gajni. In 1199 Kutub-ud-Din started its construction and it was completed in 1236 by Iltutmish, the son-in-law of Kutub. However, there is a 2nd opinion. Some say, the construction came to an end around 1357-68 during the reign of Feroz Sah Tughlak.However, the Kutub which was built in Afghan style underwent repairing and remaking for more than occasions. Revolving steps of flights are 367 in number in slightly leaned Kutub. It has some
spl features- at its root the radius is being 14.40 m which gradually reduced at its top to 2.44 m. In Kupee language it has been inscribed on Kutub that- The Tower was erected to cast theshadow of God over both East and West. Aayaat from Quran is also inscribed. At the foot of the Minar a Mosque was built in 1197.The 5 storeyed Qutub Minar is a remarkable instance of sculpture in India. The 1st floor made of sand stone by Kutub, the 2nd & 3rd floors made of sand stone by Iltutmis and the 4th and 5th in both sand stone and marble by Feroz Shah Tughlok in 1368.However, the earthquake of 1803 destroyed it , in 1829 British Major Robert Smith re-built the tomb. Later the tomb was brought down from the Minar and reset it in the garden beside. In 1981, some students died of stampade while on their way up the steps of flights. Since then, ascending 5th floor is forbidden and not more than a group of 4 at a time is permitted to ascent only upto 1st floor of Kutub. Recently, Kutub is enshrined with huge lighting.
What so Special about Qutab Minar:
Enter through the colossal Alai Darwaza, the erstwhile main entrance to the whole complex nestling in the south east of Qutab Minar. Look for the richly decorated facades, built in white
marble and embellished with intricate geometric patterns and Arabic inscriptions. Although you will find it hard to take your eyes off this stately monument, but there are other attractions
strewned all over the alluring precincts that may catch your attention. At the foot of the Qutab Minar stands the first mosque to be built in India, the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid. Referred to as
the Might of Islam Mosque, this sacred relic is a fruit of successive additions and extensions over the centuries.
Walk over to the east gate and you can see an inscription over there that expounds that the original mosque was built on the foundations of a Hindu temple and the materials obtained by
demolishing 27 idolatrous temples! Walk over to the west of this mosque and you will overwhelmed to see the spectacularly decorated tomb of Iltutmish, portraying an enigmatic array of exquisite carvings which virtually cover the entire interior of the 9 sq m tomb.
Iron Pillar:
In front of the imposing structure is an iron pillar believed to have been built in the 5th century A.D. It's uniqueness lies in the fact that it has not caught rust ever since it was built. The Presence of the ancient non-rusting Iron Pillar within the complex further appears to add credence to the first theory. There is an inscription on the top of the pillar in Sanskrit that suggests that the pillar was brought from somewhere else. The scientists have not yet unearthed the secret of this pillar that has not rusted for well over 2000 years. It is believed that if you encircle the pillar with your hands with your back towards the pillar your wish will be fulfilled. Tourists are not permitted to climb the tower.Situated in the courtyard of the Quwwatu'l-Islam, the famous Iron Pillar belongs to its 4th century. The Sanskrit inscription in Gupta script and the peculiar style of its 'Amalaka' capital
confirms the date. As evident from these inscriptions, this pillar was originally set up as a flag or 'dhvaja' of Lord Vishnu on the hill known as 'Vishnupada' as a tribute to King Chandragupta II
(375-413) of the imperial Gupta dynasty. It is also suggested that a deep hole on the top of the pillar was used to fit the image of 'Garuda' as a standard of Vishnu. It is said to be brought to
Delhi by Anangpal, the Tomar king who founded Delhi.
The base of the 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 present floor level. It is a wonder that iron has not rusted despite the sixteen centuries that have passed since then and is an excellent example of advanced metallurgy of those times. It 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. According to the traditional belief, any one who can encircle the entire column with their arms, with their back towards the pillar, can have their wish granted. However, tourists are kept off from the pillar to avoid damage to this historical relic.
posted by Rishil Babu @ 3:21 AM,
