Flashback of Qutub minar
The tall and ever attractive monument of Delhi
which can be seen from most parts of the city is called the Qutab Minar. Every
body has the same question when one sees the structure for the first time. The
question that is often being put up is "Why the monument is that
big?" or "Was there any specific reason to build such a tall building
or it was just a wish of the person who built it?" Well, the exact reason
is assumed to have something related to commemorating the victory. Mughals used
to build victory towers to proclaim and celebrate victories. Some say the
minaret was used to offer prayer but it is so tall that you can hear the person
standing on the top. Also, the minaret is not joined on to Qutuddin's mosque
and the Iltutmish's mosque.
Qutab Minar is among the tallest and famous towers
in the world. The minaret is 234 feet high and the highest individual tower in
the world. Other towers in the world are the Great Pagoda in Pekin, China and
the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy but these towers are not as high as the
Qutab Minar in Delhi.
According to history books, the minar was started
by Prithviraj or his uncle Vigraharaja who won Delhi from the Tomar Rajputs.
However, it is assumed and historians believe that Qutubuddib
and Iltutmish finished it though the minar may have
been commenced by Prithviraj or Vigraharaja. The minar was completed in 1200
A.D and since then the tall structure has been there upright and ever beautiful
keeping an eye to Delhi just like a sentry.
When Alauddin returned from the wars in the Deccan,
he had this thought in mind that he would build a victory tower somewhat similar
to the Qutab Minar. The ruins of this very initiative can be seen adjacent to
the Qutbuddin's mosque because Alauddin died at the very start of the
construction work and no one carried on to finish the initiative taken by
Alauddin.
Qutab Minar is another great
masterpiece of Mughal architecture. It has a number of floors or storeys
which has beautiful carvings like the one on the tomb of Iltutmish. There are
inscriptions all round the tower and these inscriptions reveal that Iltutmish
finised the tower. The structure of the wall is made as such that it widens
from top to bottom, just to make the minar stronger.
Moving upstairs inside the minar will give you a
wonderful experience and counting the stairs is always a fun for visitors. It
has 378 steps which takes good amount of energy to reach at the top. The top of
the tower gives an insight to Delhi because you get
to see the bird's eye view of the city.
To point a few sight seeing from the top, you will
find views of the Hauz Khaz
on the left and the walls of the Jahanpanah and Siri on the right. It was this
very top of Qutab Minar that was used by Khilji and Tughlaq kings to watch the
wild Mongol hordes when they threatened Delhi. The top also served as the watch
top for Tughlaq who watched Timur's army camp on the Wellingdon Airport. Other
important monuments that is visible from the top are the walls of Tughlaqabad, Humayun's
Tomb, Purana
Qila, Firoz Shah Kotla and Jama
Masjid.
The minar did receive some damage because of
earthquakes on more than a couple of occasions but was reinstated and renovated
by the respective rulers. During the rule of Firoz Shah, the minar's two top
floors got damaged due to earthquake but were repaired by Firoz Shah.
In the year 1505, earthquake again struck and it
was repaired by Sikandar Lodi. Later on in the year 1794, the minar faced
another earthquake and it was Major Smith, an engineer who repaired the
affected parts of the minar. He replaced Firoz Shah's pavilion with his own
pavilion at the top. The pavilion was removed in the year 1848 by Lord Hardinge
and now it can be seen between the Dak Bungalow and the Minar in the garden.
The floors built by Firaz Shah can be distinguished easily as the pavilions was
built of white marbles and are quite smooth as compared to other ones.
The minar is not that erect as it used to be
because of wears and tears over the past several years. Closely looking at the
mina rives you an idea that it is somewhat tilled towards one side. The minar
is very sincerely looked after by the authorities much like the same as other
historic monuments in the country.
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