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Constructed As A Holy Minar
Qutub MinarThe world famous towering Qutub Minar, started in 1192 by
Qutub-ud-din Aibak (1192-98), breathes down the neck of the
Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. There is a slight difference of opinion as
to its purpose: it probably was a tower of victory, but then again
it could have been built to be a minar (tower), attached to the
Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, for the muezzin (priest) to climb up top for
a prayer.
Other Belief of Its Construction
Among Delhites there are lots of other theories about the origin of
the tower. Some say it was the observatory of the great scientist
Aryabhatta of ancient India, other claim that it was built by
Prithvi Chauhan for his daughter to see the Yamuna. In fact
everything short of an extraterrestrial origin has been attributed
to it. The presence of the ancient non-rusting Iron Pillar within
the complex further appears to add credence to the first theory.
However the tower, its entire design and architecture are
undisputedly Islamic and all the other theories are just matters of
wild surmise.
Considering how shortchanged he was for time, it is doubtful that
Qutub-ud-din got much further than a couple of levels of the minar,
in fact many suggest that lived to see only the first storey
complete. Altamash, his successor, completed the remaining tower.
Measures Taken To Keep The Minar In Perfect
Shape
It is clear that the tower was very close to the sultanate's heart,
since repeated efforts were made to keep it in perfect shape. In its
long career, the tower got hit by lightening twice – something that,
of course, with its height it was literally asking for. Once during
the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, who very decently repaired the
ensuing damage. The next time was in the indefatigable builder
Feroze Shah Tughlaq's time, when the topmost storey got damaged.
Feroze Shah, who of course couldn't well leave things alone, not
only repaired the floor, but also sneaked in another level.
The result of this combined effort is an interesting mix in styles
that is clearly discernable all over the tower. Each of the original
three storeys has different designs. The base storey has alternate
angular and circular flutings while those of the second one are
round and the third one has only angular flutings. Their alignment
is mercifully similar, so giving the tower a rhythmic harmony.
The pretty projecting balconies
have a very interesting pattern, with icicle-shaped pendentive (an
intricate design in which triangular pieces of vaulting spring from
the corners of a rectangular area and support a rounded or polygonal
dome) type of brackets. The attractiveness of the balconies is
heightened by the bands of sonorous inscriptions. The diameter (at
base) of the Qutub Minar is 14.32m and about 2.75m at the top. |
