The Historical Kutub Minar

If you are planning to visit India, you must keep Kutub Minar on your travel list. Kutub Minar is a pillar located in Delhi, India, which is the tallest brick minar in the world. It is located in the Kutub Complex, the Kutub Complex and the minar are made of stone from the ruins of an ancient Hindu temple. It is built of red sandstone; the tower is 82.5 meters (236 feet) high. The base of the tower is 14.32 m (48 ft) in diameter and 2.75 m (9 ft) in diameter at the top. Construction of the minar was completed in the early thirteenth century.

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In the precincts of the minar are the Alai Gate (1311), the Alai Minar, the Kuwait-ul-Islam Mosque, the tomb of Iltutmish and an iron pillar. The minar is said to have been built from the ruins of several Hindu and Jain temples. It is believed that these temples were destroyed by foreign invasion in the early days of Islamic rule in India. The center of the precinct is 6.02 m (23 ft) high with shiny iron pillars, which have not rusted to this day. This iron pillar has an inscription in Sanskrit by Chandragupta II. Qutbuddin Aibek started the construction of this minar in 1192.

The work of the minar was completed during the reign of Iltutmish (1211-36). During the reign of Alauddin Khilji (1296-1318) its premises and construction work was carried out.The minar was later damaged by lightning, although it was renovated. It is surrounded by a number of other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as the Kutub Complex. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (iv) in the category of World Heritage Site as an impeccable reflection of Islamic architecture and art. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delhi and the highest visited monument in 2008, with 38.95 lakh tourists, more than the Taj Mahal, with 25.4 lakh tourists.It was built in imitation of the Jam Minar in Afghanistan. Each floor of the five-story minar has a balcony or hanging porch.

There are two opinions behind the naming of Kutub Minar, firstly it is named after its builder Kutub Uddin Aibek. Secondly, it was built in honor of Hazrat Kutub Uddin Bakhtiyar's aunt, a famous Sufi saint from Transoxiana. The Kutub Minar consists of various cylindrical shafts separated by a verandah. The minar is made of red sandstone with the verses of the Holy Quran engraved on the cover. Earthquake and lightning caused some damage to the minar but it was repaired by the rulers.During the reign of Firoz Shah, the two top floors of the minar were damaged by lightning but were repaired by Firoz Shah. The earthquake struck in 1505 and was rectified by Sikandar Lodi. The Kutub Minar has a slope 25 inches to the southwest that is considered "within safe limits"A beautiful complex has been built around the Kutub Minar. Built on 100 acres of land, the complex includes the Kuwatul Islam Mosque, Alai Minar, Alai Gate, Sultan Iltutmish, Sultan Gias Uddin Balban, Sultan Alauddin Khilji and Imam Jamin's tomb and iron pillars.

Besides, the face of the wall of the minar is decorated with various ornaments. The first Muslim ruler of India, Sultan Kutub Uddin Aibek, founded the Kutub Minar in 1193 AD. The 1st and 2nd floors were constructed under his supervision. Later (1211-38) under the direct supervision of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, the construction of the 3rd and 4th floors of the minar and finally the 5th floor was completed by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq.Historians believe that the Kutub Minar was used for the convenience of the worshipers of the Quwatul Islam Mosque. Azan was given regularly from the 1st floor. Due to its high altitude, its usefulness as a security observation tower is remarkable.The first reliable description of this minar is obtained from the historian Amir Khasru.

He called it the ‘Minar of the Jame Mosque’. The world traveler Ibn Battuta also did not call it the Kutub Minar.Historian Abul Fida says ‘Azankhana of Jame Mosque’. Firoz Shah Tughlaq said ‘Sultan Muizuddin Samer Minar’. Emperor Babar in his autobiography Babarnama did not call it 'Kutub Minar' but called it 'Alauddin Khilji's Minar'.How did the name Kutub Minar come about? Although there is no historical basis, some historians and archaeologists of the British period call it the Kutub Minar. Among them are Cunningham, Reverend, Ulsliheg, NR Munshi and others. They agreed that Kutub Uddin Aibek named the minar "Kutub Minar" after Kutub Uddin Bakhtiyar Khaki, the Sufi saint of Baghdad. In this way, the name 'Kutub Minar' spread in the mouths of the people during the English period due to the baseless words of the historians. The Kutub Minar was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It gradually narrowed from a base of 14.32 m to a height of 72.5 m and narrowed to 2.75 m.

The pillar is covered by beautiful and interesting sculptures. Inscribed with verses from the Holy Qur'an. The pillar has 5 floors, each with a veranda. The Government of Indiamanaged the KutubMinar. It is fading due to rising pollution in Delhi. The Kutub Minar is open all year round. However, the best time to visit the Kutub Minar is during the months of October to March, when the weather is quite pleasant.The time to visit Kutub Minar is from sunrise to sunset.Entrance fee for Indians is Rs. 10 / - in Indian price, Rs. 250 / - for Indians in Indian price. Children under the age of 15 are allowed free entrees.

How to reach there

The Kutub Minar in Mehrauli, New Delhi, India, is just 10.8 kilometers from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. It takes only half an hour to reach the minar by car from New Delhi Railway Station.You can also take a cab to reach the minar from the airport and railway station. The monument is well-connected through a great road connection system. You can also choose to travel by bus offered by various private and government buses as a healthy connection.Kutub Minar is the nearest station to the Delhi Metro. It takes about half an hour to reach this monument from Jama Masjid.

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Written by, Samiha Jahan

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