The Indian Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel on Saturday inaugurated the first-ever architectural LED illumination at the historic Qutb Minar. With the illumination, the architectural beauty of the 12th-century monument will display its historic majesty after sunset.
Speaking on the occasion, Patel said: “Qutub Minar is one of the biggest examples of our culture, that a monument which was built after demolishing 27 of our temples is celebrated as World Heritage, even after Independence.”
Mentioning about the 24-feet-high iron pillar in the complex, he said it “is centuries older than the monument and presents a sample of our sophistication that it has not rusted even after 1,600 of its existence out in the open”.
The new illumination comprises lighting that accentuates the silhouette of the monument with the interplay of light and shade. The duration of illumination will be from 7 pm to 11 pm.
Built in the early 13th century a few kilometers south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built-in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwatu’l-Islam, the oldest in northern India, built of materials reused from some 20 Brahman temples.
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