We cannot know the present or the future without knowing the last. Therefore a visit to historical place is one of the important parts of education. Schools often show the students important historical places in their area. Sometimes school parties go to distant places to see historical sites and sights.
A visit to historical place gives us a better and brighter idea of our history books. History become real and lives when we visit historical places like the Qutab Minar, the Red Fort and the like buildings. It is for this reason that people go history-hunting.
It was in this light that our History Teacher arranged a trip to the Qutab Minar. The whole class wanted to go but the: Qutab Minar was a great way off. So a special bus had to be arranged for the purpose. All the students were told to reach the school punctually at 7 A.M. Those who were late even by fifteen minutes were left out, because the bus started off at 7-15 A.M.
It was a great day in the life of many a students. They had never seen even Delhi. They enjoyed the whole trip. It took us two hours to reach the Qutab Minar from our school. The whole neighborhood of the Qutab Minar is full of history. The number of many other buildings in ruins there was so great that we could not count them.
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The Qutab Minar is the highest monument in India. Now it has five stories but previously it had seven stories. Two fell down in an earthquake. The Minar is said to have been erected by Kutab-ud-din Aibek, the founder of Slaves Dynasty in India. It is said to be a monument of his victory.
The latest historical researches belie this origin of the Qutab Minar. Kutab-ul-din Aibek never made the building. The only building of the kind attempted by the Muslim King was never completed. It stands half-complete in front of the Qutab Minar.
Historical research proves that the Qutab Minar was built by Prithvi Raj Chauhan for the satisfaction of his daughter who was fond of seeing the Jamuna every day before taking her meals. Since the Jamuna was a great way off, the tower was built to help her see the river right from her palace.
Kutab-ud-dm Aibek took over the building and carved on it verses from the Koran to give it a permanent Muslim character and named it as the Tower of Victory. It was no doubt apart of his victory in India. But he never built it.
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The Qutab Minar is one of the most popular historical buildings in India. It vies only with the Taj. All tourists who come to India praise the architectural feats to the Indians. Once they have seen these buildings they claim to have seen something of India.