Qutb Minar

Secrets of the Qutub Minar complex

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• published: 01 Sep 2012
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The iron pillar also known as the Ashokan pillar of Delhi, India, is a 7 m (23 ft) high pillar in the Qutb complex, notable for the composition of the metals used in its construction. The pillar, which weighs more than six tons, is said to have been fashioned at the time of Chandragupta Vikramaditya (375--413) of the Gupta Empire, though other authorities give dates as early as 912 BCE. The pillar initially stood in the centre of a Jain temple complex housing twenty-seven temples; these were destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, and their material was used in building the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the Qutb complex which now surrounds the pillar.The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and metallurgists and has been called "a testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths" because of its high resistance to corrosion. The corrosion resistance results from an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which serves to protect it, and also the effects of the local Delhi climate, which alternates from wet to dry.The name of the city of Delhi is thought to be based on a legend associated with the pillar. Qutub Minar also Qutub Meenar, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi, India. The Qutub Minar was constructed with red sandstone and marble, and is the tallest minaret in India, with a height of 72.5 metres (237.8 ft), contains 379 stairs to reach the top, and the diameter of base is 14.3 metres whereas the last storey is of 2.7 metres. The Construction was commenced by qutub-ud-din Aibak in 1192 and completed by Iltutmish. It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub complex. Tradition assigns the erection of the Pillar to Anang Pal, whose name it bears, with the date 1052 C.E. Qutab Minar is the nearest station on the Delhi Metro. A picture of the minaret also features on the Travel Cards issued by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Source - Wikipedia This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of thousands of hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM 1080i High Definition, HDV and XDCAM. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Reach us at wfi @ vsnl.com and admin@wildfilmsindia.com ashokan ashoka ashok iron pillar piler pillor ashoka iron edict