Lesser Known Qutab Ruins

Qutab Minar Ruins, New Delhi. Qutub Minar (Hindi : ‘5“C”1’4”1’C ’E”0’8“E“0 Urdu: d2c7b8 d5d6b7c1) is the tallest brick minaret in the world, and an important example of Indo-Islamic Architecture. The tower is in the Qutab complex in South Delhi, India. The Qutab Minar and its monuments are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Qutub Minar is 72.5 metres high (237.8 ft) and requires 399 steps to get to the top. Although formerly closed, visitors can reach the top of the tower by paying a fee of 500 INR or about 12$. The diameter of the base is 14.3 metres wide while the top floor measures 2.75 metres in diameter. Surrounding the building are many fine examples of Indian artwork from the time it was built in 1193. A second tower was in construction and planned to be taller than the Qutub Minar itself. Its construction ended when it was about forty feet tall. It is evident from the Indian History and has been accepted by Archeological survey of India (ASI) that the place where Qutub Minar stands today was place of 27 Jain temples. These were the same temples from whose stones the basic courtyards, rooms of Qutub complex were built to support the structure living time. Even today an inscription stating same has been put by ASI 10 meters beside to Minaret. The Jain tirthankar figuranies can be easily found on many pillars and room walls of complex. A 5 floored level Panduk Shilla (place of abhishek, the holy bath of Jain statues done once in a year) stands in the complex, although it has been given an aliened english name to destroy Jains identity. www.collectbritain.co.uk/dlo.cfm/svadesh/019PH O000000971U... 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 Qutub Minar in 1193; but could only complete its basement. His successor, Iltutmish, added three more stories and, in 1368, Firuz Shah Tughluq constructed the fifth and the last story. The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quite evident in the minaret. Like earlier towers erected by the Ghaznavids and Ghurids in Afghanistan, the Qutub Mahal comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Jat Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. The purpose for building this beautiful monument has been speculated upon, apart from the usual role of a minaret 14that of calling people for prayer in a mosque 14in this case the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque to the northeast of minar in AD 1198. It is the earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Other reasons ascribed to its construction are as a tower of victory, a monument signifying the might of Islam, or a watch tower for defence. Controversy also surrounds the origins for the name of the tower. Many historians believe that the Qutb Minar was named after the first Turkish sultan, Qutb-ud-din Aibak but others contend that it was named in honour of Khwaja Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki of Ush, a saint from Baghdad who came to live in India who was greatly venerated by Iltutmish. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firuz Shah Tughlaq (AD 1351 1388) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489 131517). Major R.Smith also repaired and restored the minar in 1829