Worldroom MICE Tourism Guide: India 2008


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	The Qutub Minar meaning the sandstone tower is an Indo-Islamic architectural wonder of ancient India. This magnificent tower of victory stands in the Qutub Complex located at Aurabindo Marg, near Mehrauli, 14 Km south of Connaught place in Delhi. Qutub Minar, at 72.5 meters or 238 ft, is the tallest brick & sandstone tower in the world. It is an Indo-Islamic architectural wonder of ancient India and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The diameter of the base of the tower is 14.3 meters wide and the top floor measures 2.75 meters in diameter. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone whereas the fourth and fifth floors are made of marble and sandstone. To proclaim the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi and the victory of Islam over Hinduism, King Qutubuddin Aibak laid the foundation of the Qutub Minar in 1199 A.D which was completed by his son-in-law and successor Iltutmish. The 'Minaret of Jam' in Afghanistan is supposed to have provided the inspiration for the construction of the Qutub Minar. The last hindu king , Prithviraj Chauhan was actually defeated by Mohammad Ghauri in 1192 A.D. Ghauri , returned to Afghan leaving Aibak as his viceroy and on his death in 1206, Qutubuddin Aibak gave himself the title of 'Sultan of Delhi' thus establishing the first dynast of the Delhi Sultanate. The word 'Qutub Minar' when translated means 'axis minaret'. The tower has five storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. Lightning struck the Qutub Minar in 1368 A.D where the top storey fell off and was replaced with two more storeys in 1370 A.D by Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-88).Today, this impressively ornate tower has a slight tilt, but otherwise has stood the vagaries of weather through the centuries remarkably well. The embellishments on the Qutub reflect a consistently Islamic character from top to bottom. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters are seen as wide encircling bands in the plain fluted masonry of the Minar. These inscriptions narrate the history of the Qutub, from the time of its commencement in 1199 AD to the repairs done by Sultan Sikander Lodi in 1503. To enter the Minar, there is a door on the northern side, which leads straight to a spiral stairway with around 399 steps that winds its way up to the balcony in each floor and culminating in a platform at the top. This staircase, although formerly closed due to an accident, can now be accessed by paying a nominal fee. The ornate balconies held together by stalactite vaulting technique and patterned with honey combing is another special feature of the minar. In 1803, a massive earthquake damaged the entire Minar displacing the cupola on top. Major R. Smith of the Royal Engineers, restored the Qutub Minar in 1829 and the cupola was replaced with a Bengal-style chhattri. The Viceroy Lord Hardinge got this chhattri removed in 1848, as it was criticized for not keeping in with the architectural style of the rest of the tower. It now stands to the left of the entry path and is known as 'Smith's folly'. The best time to visit is between October and March and the minar is open from sunrise to sunset. In the compounds of Qutub Minar, there are many other interesting buildings and structures, including the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the the first mosque to be built in India. The Qutub Minar reverbrates with qawwallis and sufi music during the Qutub Festival, usually held in September 29-30 with artistes from India and Pakistan putting together a treat for Delhiites with different expressions of their music.