Qutb Minar and its Monuments: Monumental Legacy By B.M. Pande, Oxford, Rs 395

The Qutb Minar, the most important landmark of Delhi, according to the author, is also the earliest example of a monumental structure in Delhi. But what is often forgotten is that it is a part of a complex of buildings. The other monuments, like the Jamali Kamali mosque and Balban?s tomb, are also extraordinarily beautiful and appealing.

This complex is situated in the old village of Mehrauli, which has now become a bustling town that is an integral part of Delhi. The village is situated in an outcrop of the Aravalli hills. The name Mehrauli is probably derived from Mihirapuri or Mihirapalli, and the area has the first known defence construction in Delhi, the Lal Kot, which dates back to the Tomar ruler Anangpal in the second half of the 11th century.

The Qutb Minar dominates the landscape of Mehrauli as it does the skyline of the capital. Its foundation was laid in 1199 by Qutbuddin Aibak. He intended it to be a victory tower as well as a minar from the top of which the muezzin could call the faithful to prayer. It originally had four storeys. A fifth was added by Firuz Tughluq in the 14th century. Its rises to 238 feet and has 379 steps.

Pande gives the full historical background of the Qutb Minar as well as all the statistical details about the building. This account is perhaps the most accessible of the detailed accounts that are available about the Qutb Minar. He notes all the principal architectural features and points to their aesthetic significance.

Pande?s presentation of the Qutb Minar is the hallmark of this book which is intended to be a guide for those who visit the complex of monuments in Mehrauli. He gives, first, the historical context and background of the various buildings. He then notes the significant architectural features of each of the structures. The writing is lucid and the presentation attractive. The author was director, archaeology in the Archaeological Survey of India but his prose is never burdened with too many technicalities.

While the book scores in details, it loses out in terms of conveying mood and atmosphere. A monument is more than the stones and the style that constitute it. Their purpose goes into its structure and that composes the mood of the building. The author describes the features of the Jamali Kamali mosque but his description gives no sense of the peace and the solitude that are integral to the building. Yet in the preface to the book, he speaks about the peace and tranquillity he experienced as a young man when he roamed around the Qutb complex.