India Travel

Above the foundations of Lai Kot, settled in the eighth century by the Tomara Rajputs and developed in the twelfth century by the Chauhans, the first monuments of Muslim India, now known as the Qutb Minar Complex (daily dawn to dusk; Rs 10), stand in well-tended grounds 13km south of Connaught Place; to get here take bus #505 from Ajmeri Gate. One of Delhi’s most famous landmarks, the fluted red sandstone tower of the Qutb Minar tapers upwards from the ruins, covered with intricate carvings and deeply inscribed verses from the Koran, to a height of 72.5m.

Work on the Qutb Minar started in 1199 as Qutb-ud-din Aibaks victory tower, celebrating the advent of the Muslim dominance ot Delhi (arid much of the subcontinent) that was to endure until 1857. For Qutb-ud-din, who died four years after gaining power, it marked the eastern extremity of the Islamic faith, casting the shadow of God over east and west. It was also a minaret, from which the muezzin called the faithful to prayer. Only the first storey of the Qutb Minar has been ascribed to Qutb-ud-din’s short reign; the other four were built by his successor Iltutmish, and the top was restored in 1369 by Firoz Shah, who used marble to face the red sandstone. Access to the balconies via the staircase inside has been closed after a spate of accidents and suicides.

Adjacent to the tower lie the ruins of India’s first mosque, Quwwat-ul-Islam (’"the might of Islam"), built by Qutb-ud-din using the remains of 27 Hindu and Jain temples and the help of Hindu artisans - their influence can be seen in the detail of the masonry and the indigenous corbelled arches. Steps lead to an impressive courtyard flanked by cloisters and supported by pillars unmistakably taken from a Hindu temple and adapted to accord with strict Islamic law forbidding iconic worship — all the races’ of the decorative figures carved into the columns have been removed. Especially fine ornamental arches, rising as high as 16m, remain of what was once the prayer hall. Beautifully carved sandstone screens, combining Koranic calligraphy with the Indian lotus, form a facade immediately to the west of the mosque, facing Mecca. Iltutmish and his successors extended the mosque, enlarging the prayer hall and the cloisters and introducing such Islamic architectural traditions as geometric designs, calligraphy, glazed tiles set in brick, and squinches (arches set diagonally to a square to support a dome).

In complete contrast to the mainly Islamic surroundings, an Iron Pillar (7.2m) stands in the corner of the mosque, bearing fourth-century Sanskrit inscriptions of the Gupta period attributing it to the memory of King Chandragupta II (373-413). Once topped with an image of the Hindu bird god. Garuda. the extraordinary and virtually rust-free pillar, made of 98 percent pure iron, is a puzzle to metallurgists. It must have been transplanted here, but its origins remain hazy. Tradition has it that anyone who can encircle the column with their hands behind their back will have their wishes granted, although today the pillar is fenced off from eager fortune-seekers.

Ala-i-Darwaza, a mausoleum-like gateway with stone lattice screens, was added by Ala-ud-din Khalji (1296-1316). Its inlaid marble embellishments are owed to an influx of Pathan artisans from Byzantine Turkey, and the import of Seljuk influences - the true arches were the first in India. The south entrance to the complex is marked by yet another tower, Alai Minar. Planned as grander and larger than the Qutb Minar, it was loft abandoned after the construction of its 24.5-metre-high first storey.

On a plinth west of Quwwat-ul-Islam, the tomb of Iltutmish. built m 1235 by the ruler himself, was the first Muslim mausoleum in India - something new to the subcontinent, as Hindus cremate their dead rather than bury them. A relatively plain exterior blending Indian and Muslim styles, with three ornate arches, hides an interior 9m square with geometric arabesque patterns combined with calligraphy and lotus and wheel motifs. The square red sandstone chamber was once covered by the dome that now lies in pieces around the site; only its corbelled squinches bear witness to a flawed method of early Indo-Islamic building. Ala-ud-din Khalji’s tomb and madrasa (theological college), lie on the southwest perimeter of Quwwat-ul-Islam, their L-shaped structure reflecting the Seljuk influence. To the southeast of the Ala-i-Darwaza is the small and attractive tomb of the Sufi saint Imam Muhammad Ali, better known as Imam Zamin, a native of Turkestan who came to India during the reign of Sikaudar Lodi (1488-1517).

The octagonal Moghui tomb of Muhammad Quh Khan, one of Akbar’s courtiers, perched above the scrubland 150m southeast of the Qutb Minar. was occupied and converted by Charles Metcalfe, resident at the Moghui court, into a country house but is now in ruins. Another crumbling Rajera house nearby still boasts a very ornamental English fireplace and swimming tank. Outside the complex, north of the Qutb Minar. Adham Khan’s tomb stands on the remains of the walls of Lai Kot. A general in Akbar’s army, Khan was hurled from the ramparts of Agra Fort on the orders of the emperor after some murderous court feuding. You can get a particularly good view of both the tomb and the Qutb complex from the roof of the Church of St John, an incongruous little chapel with an Anglican nave, monastic cloisters and a Hindu chhapra (rower), tucked down a lane opposite the tomb entrance.

Above the foundations of Lai Kot, settled in the eighth century by the Tomara Rajputs and developed in the twelfth century by the Chauhans, the first monuments of Muslim India, now known as the Qutb Minar Complex (daily dawn to dusk; Rs 10), stand in well-tended grounds 13km south of Connaught Place; to get here take bus #505 from Ajmeri Gate. One of Delhi’s most famous landmarks, the fluted red sandstone tower of the Qutb Minar tapers upwards from the ruins, covered with intricate carvings and deeply inscribed verses from the Koran, to a height of 72.5m.

Work on the Qutb Minar started in 1199 as Qutb-ud-din Aibaks victory tower, celebrating the advent of the Muslim dominance ot Delhi (arid much of the subcontinent) that was to endure until 1857. For Qutb-ud-din, who died four years after gaining power, it marked the eastern extremity of the Islamic faith, casting the shadow of God over east and west. It was also a minaret, from which the muezzin called the faithful to prayer. Only the first storey of the Qutb Minar has been ascribed to Qutb-ud-din’s short reign; the other four were built by his successor Iltutmish, and the top was restored in 1369 by Firoz Shah, who used marble to face the red sandstone. Access to the balconies via the staircase inside has been closed after a spate of accidents and suicides.

Adjacent to the tower lie the ruins of India’s first mosque, Quwwat-ul-Islam (’"the might of Islam"), built by Qutb-ud-din using the remains of 27 Hindu and Jain temples and the help of Hindu artisans - their influence can be seen in the detail of the masonry and the indigenous corbelled arches. Steps lead to an impressive courtyard flanked by cloisters and supported by pillars unmistakably taken from a Hindu temple and adapted to accord with strict Islamic law forbidding iconic worship — all the races’ of the decorative figures carved into the columns have been removed. Especially fine ornamental arches, rising as high as 16m, remain of what was once the prayer hall. Beautifully carved sandstone screens, combining Koranic calligraphy with the Indian lotus, form a facade immediately to the west of the mosque, facing Mecca. Iltutmish and his successors extended the mosque, enlarging the prayer hall and the cloisters and introducing such Islamic architectural traditions as geometric designs, calligraphy, glazed tiles set in brick, and squinches (arches set diagonally to a square to support a dome).

In complete contrast to the mainly Islamic surroundings, an Iron Pillar (7.2m) stands in the corner of the mosque, bearing fourth-century Sanskrit inscriptions of the Gupta period attributing it to the memory of King Chandragupta II (373-413). Once topped with an image of the Hindu bird god. Garuda. the extraordinary and virtually rust-free pillar, made of 98 percent pure iron, is a puzzle to metallurgists. It must have been transplanted here, but its origins remain hazy. Tradition has it that anyone who can encircle the column with their hands behind their back will have their wishes granted, although today the pillar is fenced off from eager fortune-seekers.

Ala-i-Darwaza, a mausoleum-like gateway with stone lattice screens, was added by Ala-ud-din Khalji (1296-1316). Its inlaid marble embellishments are owed to an influx of Pathan artisans from Byzantine Turkey, and the import of Seljuk influences - the true arches were the first in India. The south entrance to the complex is marked by yet another tower, Alai Minar. Planned as grander and larger than the Qutb Minar, it was loft abandoned after the construction of its 24.5-metre-high first storey.

On a plinth west of Quwwat-ul-Islam, the tomb of Iltutmish. built m 1235 by the ruler himself, was the first Muslim mausoleum in India - something new to the subcontinent, as Hindus cremate their dead rather than bury them. A relatively plain exterior blending Indian and Muslim styles, with three ornate arches, hides an interior 9m square with geometric arabesque patterns combined with calligraphy and lotus and wheel motifs. The square red sandstone chamber was once covered by the dome that now lies in pieces around the site; only its corbelled squinches bear witness to a flawed method of early Indo-Islamic building. Ala-ud-din Khalji’s tomb and madrasa (theological college), lie on the southwest perimeter of Quwwat-ul-Islam, their L-shaped structure reflecting the Seljuk influence. To the southeast of the Ala-i-Darwaza is the small and attractive tomb of the Sufi saint Imam Muhammad Ali, better known as Imam Zamin, a native of Turkestan who came to India during the reign of Sikaudar Lodi (1488-1517).

The octagonal Moghui tomb of Muhammad Quh Khan, one of Akbar’s courtiers, perched above the scrubland 150m southeast of the Qutb Minar. was occupied and converted by Charles Metcalfe, resident at the Moghui court, into a country house but is now in ruins. Another crumbling Rajera house nearby still boasts a very ornamental English fireplace and swimming tank. Outside the complex, north of the Qutb Minar. Adham Khan’s tomb stands on the remains of the walls of Lai Kot. A general in Akbar’s army, Khan was hurled from the ramparts of Agra Fort on the orders of the emperor after some murderous court feuding. You can get a particularly good view of both the tomb and the Qutb complex from the roof of the Church of St John, an incongruous little chapel with an Anglican nave, monastic cloisters and a Hindu chhapra (rower), tucked down a lane opposite the tomb entrance.