More Images from Qutub Minar - Roaming Delhi Part 3

Emily Dickinson once said that the past isn't a package that one can lay away. In Mignon McLaughlin's "The Neurotic's Notebook" (1960), the past is likened to a strap on our back. We don't have to see it, but we always feel it. This sentiment is gravely palpable roaming around Qutub Minar, one of Delhi's World Heritage Sites.

My experience with the Qutub, considered the world's tallest brick minaret (i.e. if you care about minarets) reflects every visitor's foray at the Qutub, I suspect. For the uninformed, a minaret is a slender tower (turret) attached to a mosque, often furnished with balconies from which the muezzin (a mosque crier) calls the people for prayers (this happens about 5x daily). From a distance just before entering the complex, the tower beckons like a proud phallic symbol. This probably was one of the reasons why its maker conceptualized the Qutub Minar - to remind the might of the new ruler.

If creating an impression was one of his goals, he obviously succeeded. The temples are still there, and the tower is immaculately preserved, although no one is allowed to climb it anymore. The mosque is in ruins, but the Iron Pillar stands right in front of it. There is an eerie presence surrounding it, what with tombs visible within the complex. But my favorite moment is when I'm just gazing at the intricate designs on walls. Such brilliant artistry at the time when they didn't even have electricity and power tools. It is very humbling.

I'd say, the perfect time to visit the Qutub Minar is when the sun starts to dip its incandescent head down the horizon. The effect of the shadows shrouds into a very dramatic exit.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Jain temple and its many pillars.

Tomb of Imam Zamin

Intricate designs.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque started construction in 1193 by Qutbuddin to mark his victory over Rajputs. Take note of the fenced Iron Pillar (also see photo below) believed to have "magic lamp" capabilities, i.e. it grants wishes.

Basic facts and information (history, founder, fees, etc.) can be read from the previous post. - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/07/qutub-minar-as-worlds-tallest-brick.html

Alauddin Khilji's Madrasa - Madrasa is arabic term for any educational institution. Khilji was the second Sultan of Delhi from Khilji dynasty, who ruled from 1296 to 1316 AD.

Ticket booth at the Qutub Minar: 250 rupees for foreigners, 10 rupees for locals, 25 rupees for cameras, 5 rupees for the use of the cloak room (However, the cloak room minders will further ask for "donations", as if 250 rupees wasn't adequate for at least a storage space).

Continuation of our 1st Indian Trip:

- Getting the Boot from Jama Masjid - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/08/dusk-over-jama-masjid-old-delhi.html

- Tantrums at the Red Fort in Old Delhi - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/08/red-fort-tantrums-and-drop-dead-drunk.html

- Chasing the Taj Mahal Dream 1 - From Delhi to Taj Ganj (Agra) - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/08/chasing-taj-mahal-dream-1-from-delhi-to.html

- Finally Seeing the Taj Mahal - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/08/chasing-taj-mahal-dream-2-loving-like.html

Notice:

I will be on the road again very soon so I shall update this site with daily adventures as they happen. Not many pictures, am afraid - and a lot of "words". Once you see "on the road" pasted somewhere here, I would have taken my next journey. To the other wanderers, have safe travels!

Qutub Minar as World's Tallest Brick Minaret - Roaming Delhi Part 2

The world was a chaotic place in 1193. Richard the Lionheart was captured by Leopold V, Duke of Austria. Pope Celestine III called for a crusade against pagans in Northern Europe. Chinese Emperor Renzon of the 5th western Xia Dynasty died and his minions grieved (he built schools and gave examinations before hiring his officials). So did Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria (resulting into the separation of lands split among his descendants). More interestingly, the Aztec civilization began in Mexico. In South Asia, a muslim rule has began after the fall of the last Hindu ruler.

In 1193, a former slave began ambitiously conceptualizing the construction of what would become one of the world's tallest towers.

Delhi is a worthy capital in terms of tourist sights. It has a long brush with the beginnings of civilization. Human habitation was believed to have occurred as early as the 2^nd century B.C. In the Indian epic “Mahabharata”, the ruling Pandavas have constructed a city called Indraprastha. And Delhi is believed to have been this place. Since then, seven major cities have risen from these lands, like Lal Kot (736 A.D.) and Qila Rai Pithora (1180). King Prithviraj III, a Chauhan king, was the last of the Hindu kings. He was eventually defeated in 1192 by Afghan muslim conqueror Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori. Delhi then came under the control of the Muslim rulers. The following year, in 1193, plans for building Qutub Minar began.

In 1206, Qutbuddin Aybak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty established the Delhi Sultanate. Qutbuddin (who was a slave purchased by Afghan conqueror Ghori mentioned above) started the construction of Qutub Minar and Quwwat-al-Islam (might of Islam), the earliest extant mosque in India. Qutbuddin Aybak (Delhi’s first muslim ruler) was a very refined and intricate builder. During his rule, he led the construction of the security towers, check posts, tax posts and a few of the forts in the most important cities of his empire to avoid plunderings and loots.

Qutub Minar soon rose as a tower, the world’s tallest brick minaret, with a height of 237.8 feet (72.5 meters). The whole complex boasts of several other medieval and ancient structures and ruins. This 5-story tower has projected balconies between each “floor”, supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honeycomb design. The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Koran.

What was the purpose in its construction? Speculations provided say that the minaret was used to calling people for prayer in the Quwwat-ul-Islam but it is so tall that you can't hear the person standing on the top.

Accordingly, an Iron Pillar rises within this complex. It is one of the world's foremost metallurgical curiosities, since according to traditional belief, anyone who can encircle the entire column with their arms, with their back towards the pillar, can have their wish granted. I’d say this was a possibility since I was able to perform this maneuver. The possibilities of being richer than Bill Gates… darn! Unfortunately, due to the corrosive qualities of human sweat, the government has built a fence around it for safety.

India boasts of 39 places listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site; four of them are in Delhi.

It is easy to understand why Qutub Minar is a World Heritage Site. The architectural structure is awe-inspiring, the design is exquisite, and details are intricate. Stepping into the complex is like being transported to an other-worldly complex. You just don't know where to begin clicking for a snap - or when to stop for that matter. It is easily one of my favorite places in Delhi, aside from Humayun’s Tomb and Lodhi Gardens. The complex is open daily from dawn to dusk. Locals pay 10 rupees while foreigners pay 250 rupees ($5.60 or P242).

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Pillars at the Jain Temple.

Lawn at the Qutb Complex.

Qutub Minar from the outside. This photo only courtesy of wikipedia.

Up next: More images from the Qutub Minar Complex.