An aunty living next door recalls her
experience of Qutb Complex-
“Ah! Nice place for recreation.
I liked the construction but it also
seemed plundered.
The designs were artistic, though quite
ambiguous.
I don’t remember much but yes…we clicked a lot
of selfies!!”
It feels good
that we live in a country with rich cultural heritage. But as a matter of fact,
these cultural sites (for most of us) are sheer touristy structures.
For me as well,
these were pride taking edifices but these are much more than this. Ahead of
the red sandstone structures are times gone by. From the Alai Darwaza to the
Iltutmish tomb to the Khilji madarsa, the expertise of the then architects can
be seen. It is true that visiting this place has truly inspired me as it has
elevated my understanding of the cultural aspects of that period and why they
are what they are.
Stepping inside
the complex, I learnt about the true and the false/ corbel arch. Initially, to
me, the curve meant to be just like another doorway. Alai Darwaza has the only
true arch in the whole complex.
Moving further,
the beautiful designs on the stone pillars in the Quwwat-ul -Islam complex interested
me. Actually, the mosque was built, rather restructured, on the ruins of Hindu-Jain
temples. Since Islam doesn’t allow Hindu symbols, many human figures were disfigured,
especially the faces. The pillars outside the mosque are plain and the ones
inside are ornate. The bell and ‘kalash’ motifs are prominent. The Alai Darwaza
too is richly carved with geometrical inscriptions and the horse shoe arches
are decorated with lotus bud motifs.
I remember, what
had happened inside the Iltutmish tomb. I sat on the grave oblivion of the fact
that it was the cenotaph which is to be revered. Ignorance rules the world.
Isn’t it? For a layman, it is just a marble structure. Just in front of the
cenotaph is a mihrab which is the doorway to ‘Jannat’. That’s why we say, “Life
is lived forwards, but understood backwards.”
Terms like
squinch and arabesque seemed alien to us before, but now we use them
flamboyantly in our vocabulary. Efforts were made to amalgamate Hindu and
Islamic architecture and the instances can be seen in the entire complex.
The heavily decorated interior of the
Iltutmish tomb lies in sharp contrast to the Khilji tomb which appears to be in
ruins. The presence of the grave and a symbolic mihrab shows that Aluddin
khilji had detached him from the material culture.
Qutb Minar is a
kind of face of Delhi. The very sight of Qutb Minar was amazing. The
cylindrical shafts separated by balconies, honey comb designs, floral motifs,
arabesque and other inscriptions make it no less beautiful. Even the “Lohe ki
Laath” (the Iron Pillar) is incredible. The hallmark of Indian scientific technology,
this magical rust free pillar goes back to 400 CE.
After visiting
the monuments, I have developed a certain sense of understanding of our own
identity and of course, the culture. In the metro my time passed reminiscing
the walk. Now, next time if I go to Gurugram, the very spectacle of Qutb Minar is going to freshen up the history behind it!