Qutb Minar

The best Christmas present we got this year was a visit from my sister Caroline, known around these parts as "Favourite Aunt Carrie."

She gave herself that name when the first nieces and nephews were tiny, and she's brainwashed them all into thinking that's her actual title. It was set in stone four years ago, when one of Johnny's friends told her mom she couldn't come for a bath yet because Favourite Aunt Carrie was about to read a story. Now that's success.

We met Caroline up north a few days before Christmas for a quick tour of Delhi and Agra, and then we brought her down here to see the good stuff. Just kidding! Delhi and Agra were amazing. My jaw dropped at least as often as Carrie's did.

We all arrived in Delhi in the evening, then got to our hotel (a "homestay," which was really fun) for dinner and sleep. Caroline had no time for jet lag, because the next morning we were off and running. First stop: Qutb Minar.

The Qutb Minar complex was built by the first Islamic rulers of India after they defeated the Hindu kings back in the 12th century. The most striking feature is a huge tower, 240 feet tall, that's made of carved sandstone and marble. It was hazy the morning we were there, but the tower was still pretty awe-inspiring.

At the foot of the tower are the remains of a large mosque and courtyard and the ruins of what they think was a school. The rest of the complex is peppered with gardens and tombs.

Tomb of Imam Zamin

At one of the tombs -- I think it was the Tomb of Altamish, but I'm not certain -- you can get a close-up view of the amazing carving that's found all over the complex.

The mosque was built on the foundations of a Hindu temple and made of materials taken from Hindu and Jain temples and shrines. I gather that the point was to proclaim the might of Islam and to squash the previous Hindu rulers completely. It reminded me of the Spanish conquistadores, who razed Aztec temples and built Catholic cathedrals or colonial buildings in their place. The Templo Mayor at Mexico City's Zocalo comes to mind as a good example.

You can see carvings of Hindu deities on this pillar.

Evie did not let go of Caroline for several days.

A shot of the ceiling

So the Qutb Minar complex dates to the 12th century. Ancient, sure, but that's nothing compared to the age of the awesome iron pillar that stands in the mosque's courtyard. The pillar was there long before the mosque was built. It dates all the way back to the 4th century, and historians think it stood outside a Vishnu temple. John says it's a definite example of alien technology, because it's been standing there rust free for nearly 2000 years. Whatever its origin, it's pretty cool.

A fun side story: Qutb-ud-din was the first Muslim ruler in India and the builder of the Qutb Minar. One of his successors decided to outshine him by building a tower twice as high. He got to 88 feet before his death, but then no one wanted to try to complete the project. They probably thought he was nuts. So the beginnings of this tower, called the Alai Minar, are at the complex, too.

Here's a shot from farther away to give you an idea of the size of this pile of rubble.

I went to Qutb Minar with no idea of what to expect, and I was just blown away. It was so fascinating and another reminder of India's long history.

I also learned that there's no escaping what I've started calling our paparazzi moments. Northern Indians are just as frantic to get photos of my kids as are Southern Indians, and the fact that these sites attract hordes of tourists makes matters worse. We grin and bear it and occasionally have to ask with some force to be left alone. Oh, well!

Coming up: Humayun's Tomb, Hazrat Nizam something-or-other, and the Taj Mahal! Stay tuned.