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Quwwat al-Islam Mosque complex: Iron Pillar: Iron Pillar in mosque courtyard, view framed by an ogee arch

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posted on 2017-07-03, 00:00 authored by G. Massiot & cie
An inscription on the eastern gate of the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque hints at the lost splendour of ancient (Tomara) Delhi when it states that 27 temples were destroyed and their stone reused to build the mosque complex. In the middle of the mosque's courtyard is the Iron Pillar (ca. 400), a relic of the Gupta period cast in a pure, non-corrosive iron. According to the Sanskrit inscription, the tapering column (7.21 m) was a victory standard (Skt dhvaja) in honor of Vishnu and was probably crowned by a garuda figure, which no longer survives. Qutb al-Din Aybak probably placed (or retained) the standard as a victory symbol when he founded the mosque in 1192.

History

Alt Title

Iron Pillar of Delhi

Date Created

1910-01-01

Date Modified

2017-07-03

Spatial Coverage

Delhi, Delhi, India|+28.524656+77.185069|Delhi

Temporal Coverage

before or circa 1910

Cultural Context

Gupta

Rights Statement

To view the physical lantern slide, please contact the Architecture Library.

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