Revision as of 15:55, 19 November 2014

See how Qutub stood tall in Mehrauli over the centuries

Richi Verma

The Times of India

It's the monument that witnesses the maximum footfall in the national capital, and now visitors to the Qutub Minar will get a chance to see how it evolved through the centuries. To commemorate World Heritage Week in Delhi, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be hosting an exhibition of rarely seen, archival images and sketches of Qutub Minar dating back to as early as the mid-19th century .

The exhibition will be held in the Qutub Minar lawns. Officials said that out of a collection of over a 100 images from reference books and archival compilation, they shortlisted about 85 to be displayed in the exhibition that will be opened for the public on Wednesday . Depending on the response it gets from visitors, it may be extended beyond the week-long World Heritage Week celebrations ending on November 26.

Padmashree awardee RS Bisht, former joint DG of ASI and renowned archaeologist, will inaugurate the exhibition. “Each image will be accompanied with a caption and short write-up. The selected images show Qutub Minar in the backdrop of 19th century Delhi when most of the surrounding buildings present to day did not exist. It will help visitors see how the surroundings evolved through the decades,“ said officials.

Last year, the World Heritage Week focused on Red Fort. “In 2013, we held an exhibition on the forgotten monuments of Delhi at Red Fort. This year, the focus is not just on Qutub Minar but all the monuments located in Mehrauli and surround ing areas. Mehrauli is archaeologically rich and we want to raise awareness about its heritage. Most people just visit Qutub Minar and then head to other places. But there is much more to see here, from the monuments of Mehrauli Archaeological Park to Zafar Mahal, Adham Khan's tomb, Lal Kot, etc,“ said officials.

Qutub Minar will be the first monument in Delhi where ASI will be installing a board detailing information and locations of other monuments in the vicinity .The first board will list Quli Khan's tomb, Jamali Kamali, Gandhak ki Baoli, Jahaz Mahal, Balban's tomb, Jharna, etc. “The boards will give details and history of these monuments and also directions on how to get there,“ said an official.

In days to follow, five other monuments -Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Purana Qila and Safdarjung Tomb -will also have similar boards.