The iron pillar of Delhi, India is a 7 meter (22 feet) high pillar in the Qutb complex which is 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 II Vikramaditya (375–413),[1] though other authorities give dates as early as 912 BCE.[2] The pillar initially stood in the centre of a Jain temple complex housing twenty-seven temples that were destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, and their material was used in building the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque.[3] The pillar and ruins of the temple stand all around the Qutb complex today. The pillar is 98% pure wrought iron, and is a testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian ironsmiths. It has attracted the attention of both archaeologists and metallurgists, as it has withstood corrosion for over 1,600 years in the open air.[4]
The name of the city of Delhi is thought to be based on a legend associated with the pillar
The pillar, almost seven meters high and weighing more than six tons, was erected by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375 CE–414 CE), (interpretation based on analysis of archer type Gupta gold coins) of the Gupta dynasty that ruled northern India 320–540.[5] The pillar with the statue of Chakra at the top was originally located at a place called Vishnupadagiri (meaning “hill with footprint of Lord Vishnu”).[6] This has been identified as modern Udayagiri, situated in the vicinity of Besnagar, Vidisha and Sanchi. These towns are located about 50 kilometres east of Bhopal, in central India. There are several aspects to the original site of the pillar at Udayagiri. Vishnupadagiri is located on the Tropic of Cancer and, therefore, was a centre of astronomical studies during the Gupta period. The Iron Pillar served as a sundial when it was originally at Vishnupadagiri. The early morning shadow of the Iron Pillar fell in the direction of the foot of Anantasayin Vishnu (in one of the panels at Udayagiri) only around the summer solstice (June 21). The Udayagiri site in general, and the Iron Pillar location in particular, are evidence for the astronomical knowledge that existed in Gupta India.
The pillar bears a Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script[7] which states that it was erected as a standard in honour of Lord Vishnu. It also praises the valor and qualities of a king referred to simply as Chandra, who has been identified with the Gupta King Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375-413). The inscription reads (in the translation given in the tablets erected by Pandit Banke Rai in 1903):
He, on whose arm fame was inscribed by the sword, when, in battle in the Vanga countries (Bengal), he kneaded (and turned) back with (his) breast the enemies who, uniting together, came against (him);-he, by whom, having crossed in warfare the seven mouths of the (river) Sindhu, the Vahlikas were conquered;-he, by the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed;-
(Line 3.)-He, the remnant of the great zeal of whose energy, which utterly destroyed (his) enemies, like (the remnant of the great glowing heat) of a burned-out fire in a great forest, even now leaves not the earth; though he, the king, as if wearied, has quit this earth, and has gone to the other world, moving in (bodily) from to the land (of paradise) won by (the merit of his) actions, (but) remaining on (this) earth by (the memory of his) fame;- (L. 5.)-By him, the king,-who attained sole supreme sovereignty in the world, acquired by his own arm and (enjoyed) for a very long time; (and) who, having the name of Chandra, carried a beauty of countenance like (the beauty of) the full-moon,-having in faith fixed his mind upon (the god) Vishnu, this lofty standard of the divine Vishnu was set up on the hill (called) Vishnupada.
It is believed by some that the pillar was installed in its current location by Vigraha Raja, the ruling Rajput Tomar king.[8] One of the inscriptions on the iron pillar from A.D. 1052 mentions Rajput king Anangpal II.[9]
Made up of 98% pure wrought iron, it is 7.21m (23 feet 8 inches) high, with 93 cm (36.6 inches) buried below the present floor level,[10] and has a diameter of 41 cm (16 inches) at the bottom which tapers towards the upper end. The pillar was manufactured by forge welding. The temperatures required to form such a pillar by forge welding could only have been achieved by the combustion of coal.[citation needed] The pillar is a testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian iron smiths in the extraction and processing of iron.
A fence was erected around the pillar in 1997 in response to damage caused by visitors. There is a popular tradition that it was considered good luck if you could stand with your back to the pillar and make your hands meet behind it.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Fort#Diwan-i-Aam
Tags: tomb emperor Mughal humayun architecture wide world heritage UNESCO UNESCO World Heritage Site tourist tourism muslim mosque monument mahal india history historical heritage delhi beautiful arches arch ancient Nikon D60 dSLR Nikon D60 by Mukul Banerjee ASIA Bharat Mukul Banerjee © Mukul Banerjee Diwan-i-Aam mywinners www.mukulbanerjee.com Mukul Banerjee Photography Photo Hindusthan © Mukul Banerjee Photography
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Tags: tomb emperor Mughal humayun architecture wide world heritage UNESCO UNESCO World Heritage Site tourist tourism muslim mosque monument mahal india history historical heritage delhi beautiful arches arch ancient Nikon D60 dSLR Nikon D60 by Mukul Banerjee ASIA Bharat Mukul Banerjee © Mukul Banerjee www.mukulbanerjee.com Mukul Banerjee Photography Photo Hindusthan © Mukul Banerjee Photography
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