Qutub Minar not a place of worship (UPSC Current Affairs)

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Why in the news?

• On May 24, a Delhi court reserved its decision on a petition appealing the dismissal of a civil complaint seeking to "restore" 27 Hindu and Jain temples inside the Qutub Minar complex in New Delhi, alleging that they were demolished to make way for the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque.
• The first complaint was dismissed by a civil judge in Delhi last year on the grounds that it was barred under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prompting the petitioners to launch this appeal.
• The Archeological Survey of India, on the other hand, objected to the petition, claiming that the Qutub Minar complex is not a place of worship and was not one when it was initially designated as a protected monument in 1914.

Qutub Complex

• The Qutb Minar Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is dominated by the early thirteenth-century stone tower that rises over the horizon.
• It was previously part of the Tomar Rajput rulers' of Lal Kot, Delhi's earliest urban complex.
• Following Mahmud of Ghazni's conquest of Prithviraj Chauhan, the Turk rulers of Delhi built the monuments that may still be seen today.
• Qutbuddin Aibak started the Qutb Minar, but only saw the first storey completed during his lifetime.
  • The Qutb as it stands now is the product of additions made by his successor Iltutmish and later Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
  • In the sixteenth century, Sikandar Lodi made renovations to the building as well.
  • The British attempted to rebuild a fallen cupola, but it was seen to be too out of character with the rest of the minaret and was dismantled, becoming part of the complex.
• The complex also includes the magnificent Iron Pillar, the incomplete Alai Minar, and the mausoleum of Iltutmish.

1. Qutu​b Minar

• The Qutub Minar is distinctive in many aspects, despite the fact that the practice of erecting towers can be found throughout India, West Asia, and elsewhere.
• Its incredible height of 71.4 metres is accentuated by its tapering shape.
• The Qutab Minar is one of the most famous and spectacular structures constructed by the Turks.
• The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque has a tower or minar next to it.
  • It was known as the mazana, or the location from which the call to prayer (azan) was issued.
• Some of the stones used at the base of the minar appear to originate from nearby temples that have been demolished.
• It was originally just four storeys high, but after lightning struck the top of the minar, Firuz Tughlaq restored it and added a fifth level.
• The major attraction of the minar is the skillful projection of balconies that are attached to the tower by a technique known as "stalactite honey-combing" (A framework of hexagonal cells resembling the honeycomb built by bees).
• The combination of red and white sandstones in the panels and upper levels enhances the overall effect.
  • The use of ribbed and angular projections in the tower's body, as well as red and white sandstones in the panels and upper stages, add to the overall look.

2. The Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque

• Jami Masjid or Quwwatul Islam mosque was originally a Jain temple that was later transformed to a Vishnu temple.
• Qutbuddin Aibak conquered Qila Rai Pithora and built a mosque on the site.
  • Started in 1193 and in 1198, it was completed.
  • It was constructed from the ruins of twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples that had been destroyed by the invaders.
• Following Aibak's death, Iltutmish expanded the mosque.
  • The western screen wall was extended on both sides, resulting in an area about double the size of the original mosque. These expansions have a more mature architecture and detailing than those built under Aibak's reign, and are aesthetically more geometric.
• Alauddin Khalji's (AD 1296–1316) subsequent modifications resulted in a significant extension of the mosque and other separate structures within the complex.

3. Alai Darwaza

• The Alai Darwaza was designed to be the primary entrance to Alauddin Khalji's grandiose expansion of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in the early fourteenth century.
  • A large bulging dome with a center knob, resting on horse-shoe-shaped arches, covers its four gates, making a square.
• Alai Darwaza is one of India's best examples of early Sultanate architecture, with graceful proportions and exquisite embellishments.

4. Iron Pillar

• The Iron Pillar, which stands in the heart of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, a marvel of architecture and traditional knowledge, the way it has resisted corrosion over the last 1,600 years.
• The inscription on the pillar indicates it was built on a hill called Vishnupada. The pillar is said to be a tribute to Lord Vishnu, the Gupta emperors' patron god; it is thought that a statue of Garuda (Vishnu's carrier) formerly capped the magnificently built capital.
• Because of its pure iron composition, high phosphorus content, and casting procedure, the pillar is said to have withstood corrosion.

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