There a number of legends related to the Qutub Minar
of New Delhi. Some people believe that the monument was actually built
by Prithviraj Chauhan, so that his daughter could behold the sacred
river Yamuna from its top as part of her daily worship. Since Qutub
Minar's entire architecture seems to be of Islamic origin, these legends
seem to be baseless.
However, Hindu craftsmen and sculptured stones of some Hindu temples
were certainly employed for its construction, as is evident from the
'Devanagari' inscriptions on its surface. It is said that a cupola
surmounted the stone tower originally, which was destroyed by an
earthquake. Later, an effort was made to replace it in the 19th century,
but it was brought down in 1848. It can still be seen on the lawns to
the south east of Qutab Minar.
