Ashoka Pillar Delhi
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The imposing pillar which can go up to three storeys was gifted to the city of Delhi by the third sultan of Tuglaq dynasty who was not only on a building spree, he was also fond of collecting antiques and structures as is evident with the Ashoka Pillar.
The magnificent structure is some fourteen feet high and the inscriptions seem to suggest that the pillar was built by Emperor Ashok. The structure is made out of polished sand stone and it tapers towards the top and the fact that it was made by Emperor Ashok is further given credence by the Asoka Brahmic Script which is considered the fore runner of modern Hindi.
This pillar is brought from Meerut and to transport the structure from Meerut elaborate arrangements were made. The entire structure was wrapped in silk cotton and it was kept on a soft bed filled with reed and raw skins. The entire structure was then put on a forty two wheel carriage and then pulled towards its destination by some two hundred men to the Yamuna bank after which it was put onto huge boats and transported down to Firozabad and then to Kushak.
The pillar contains Bramhi script that depicts the ten commandments of Buddha and as time passed on records of pilgrims and travelers were also inscribed on the monument. The monument has undergone quite a bit of destruction and in the seventeenth century it was completely broken to small pieces. A group of enthusiasts is said to restore the structure back to its original glory, but the official apathy has had a bad impact on the Ashoka Pillar.
This might deprive the future generations from catching a glimpse of this wonderful structure, and that would a grave injustice to an emperor who was not only a great builder but also a good restorer.
The magnificent structure is some fourteen feet high and the inscriptions seem to suggest that the pillar was built by Emperor Ashok. The structure is made out of polished sand stone and it tapers towards the top and the fact that it was made by Emperor Ashok is further given credence by the Asoka Brahmic Script which is considered the fore runner of modern Hindi.
This pillar is brought from Meerut and to transport the structure from Meerut elaborate arrangements were made. The entire structure was wrapped in silk cotton and it was kept on a soft bed filled with reed and raw skins. The entire structure was then put on a forty two wheel carriage and then pulled towards its destination by some two hundred men to the Yamuna bank after which it was put onto huge boats and transported down to Firozabad and then to Kushak.
The pillar contains Bramhi script that depicts the ten commandments of Buddha and as time passed on records of pilgrims and travelers were also inscribed on the monument. The monument has undergone quite a bit of destruction and in the seventeenth century it was completely broken to small pieces. A group of enthusiasts is said to restore the structure back to its original glory, but the official apathy has had a bad impact on the Ashoka Pillar.
This might deprive the future generations from catching a glimpse of this wonderful structure, and that would a grave injustice to an emperor who was not only a great builder but also a good restorer.
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