The Qutub Minar is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of the Qutub Minar reveal the history of its construction. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughluq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517)
The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, located at the northeast of Minar, was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Later, a coffee arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Shams ud Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) and Allaud - din Khilji. The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of the 4th century AD. According to this inscription, the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of Lord Vishnu) on the hill known as Krishnapada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra. A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that an image of Garuda was probably affixed to it.
The Qutub Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated bybalconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. One engraving on the Qutub Minar reads, "Shri Vishwakarma prasade rachita" (Conceived with the grace of Vishwakarma).
How to reach
Major Trains Connecting New Delhi
- Hazrat Nizammudin Rajdhani Express (Bangalore)
- Kalka Mail (Kolkata)
- Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express (Mumbai)
- Tamil Nadu Express (Chennai)
- Shan-e-Punjab Express (Amritsar)
- Madhya Pradesh Sampark Kranti (Madhya Pradesh)
- Shramjeevi Express (Bihar)
Qutub Minar by Metro
Qutub Minar is easily accessible by the Delhi Metro. It even features on the Smart Cards issued by the Delhi Government. The Qutub Minar station is located on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro running between Huda City Centre and Jahangirpuri. The passengers on other lines need to get connectivity to the Yellow line from the nearest Metro station.
Qutub Minar by Bus
From Railway Station- Bus number 34, 413
From Airport- Bus Number 34
The Daily sight seeing tour organized by the Delhi Transport Commission (DTC) is also a good option to view the tall minaret. The tourist bus takes you to all the important historical monuments in New Delhi. The bus starts from the Scindia's house in Connaught place in Central Delhi. The buses also run frequently from the major bus depots in the city towards the Qutub Minar, you can always take any one of them.
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