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    Dervesh and Lion

    Dervesh and Lion

    Mathura and Gandhara school of Art

    Mathura and Gandhara school of Art

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

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      Dervesh and Lion

      Dervesh and Lion

      Mathura and Gandhara school of Art

      Mathura and Gandhara school of Art

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

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      Delhi’s Chor Minar :Tower of Thieves

      inHazrat-E-Dilli, Medieval Indian History
      0

      In the midst of posh bungalows In Delhi’s Hauz Khas area there is a very strange monument which resembles a lighthouse. The strangeness comes from the fact that there is no sea nearby where a lighthouse is needed.However this seems to have a darker side to it2014-09-28 14.37.10One has to into the R block of the Hauz Khas residential area, there are two iron gates on the way. Most of the guards in the area will guide you to it, as there are no signage there.20140927_140432Once we go a little nearer the board reads that its a Chor Minar built by Alauddin Khilji (1290-1231 AD)and used to exhibit the severed heads of thieves during his reign.20140927_140258 As per the legend it has 225 holes. The purpose of this minaret was to strike terror in the hearts of people. I can well imagine how terrifying it would be to see 225 severed heads staring one from that height. Enough to make every sinner become a saint!

      Alauddin Khilji came to the throne of Delhi Sultanate at a time when the Mongol threat was at a high point and Alauddin had to maintain a huge army. He could not therefore afford mismanagement, inflation, cheating and deceit which would prevent him from facing that threat from a position of strength. His what seem barbaric now but were probably the norm in his times were aimed at running a streamlined administration.

      The Minar is built of rubble masonry (rough, uncut stones, irregularly set in mortar) and stands in the centre of a platform 30′ square and 7′ height. Each of the 4 sides of the platform has 3 arched recesses. The central one on the east is a doorway which leads to a spiral staircase. Nowadays there is a grilled gate which is kept locked. If you close up you can get the stink of pigeon and bats which inhabit it now.20140927_140309There is a nice little garden with a bench so you can curl up with a good horror story and imagine the shrieks coming from those heads hanging from there.

      On a different note, there is no mention of the building in any historical work and one can only guess at its purpose.Untitled

      Catherine Asher in her book on Mughal Architecture mentions Hiran Minar, a hunting tower, in Fatehpur Sikri which she says could have been starting point for subsequent a kos minar ( milestones)

       

       

       

       

      There is another similar tower in Malda which according to her could have been used for hanging of severed heads by Mughal Governor or as a watchtower or as both as well as for hanging the heads of rebels. Untitled

      Of course all these towers could have been used for something as innocuous as lamps!

      These two photographs are from Catherine Asher’s book “The Cambridge History of Indian Architecture of Mughal India.”

       

       

       

      I saw a similar tower in Lindau Germany which was also called Thieves Tower and used as a prison. Very pretty on the outside and full of miseries inside.IMG_20140928_190602

       

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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