An iron pillar at the Qutb complex …
Years: 412 - 423
An iron pillar at the Qutb complex near New Delhi, notable for the composition of the metals used in its construction, has never rusted.
The so-called Iron Pillar, which weighs more than six tons, bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of fourth century CE, according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of Lord Vishnu) on the hill known as Krishnapada in memory of Chandragupta Vikramaditya (375–413), though other authorities give dates as early as 912 BCE.
The pillar initially stood in the center of a Jain temple complex housing twenty-seven temples that were destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, and their material was used in building the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the Qutub Minar complex where the pillar stands today.
A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it.
The pillar, which has attracted the attention of archaeologists and metallurgists because of its high resistance to corrosion, due to both the Delhi environment providing alternate wetting and drying conditions, and iron with high phosphorus content conferring protection by the formation of an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate.
The name of the city of Delhi is thought to be based on a legend associated with the pillar.
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Years: 412 - 423
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