Gupta era Vaishnavite Dhwaja Stambha from Eran (Madhya Pradesh)
Source:- @trueIndology / Twitter.
Did you know? The top of Iron pillar in Qutub Minar complex had a Vishnuchakra and probably also a Hindu murti at the top.
Its original name was Vishnu Dhwaja, as recorded in the Gupta era inscription on its face
The left picture depicts an archaeological reconstruction pic.twitter.com/VFMMDDomTN— True Indology (@TrueIndology) December 2, 2017
The pillar was a Dhwaja of Vishnu temple. Iltutmish looted it from the temple, decapitated the object at the top, and placed it as "victory trophy" in the precincts of Quwwatul Islam Mosque (literally meaning "might of Islam" mosque)
Pillar shows a forced incision at its top pic.twitter.com/vzH7NZk9QS
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) December 2, 2017
Fortunately, we have a surviving Gupta era Vaishnavite Dhwaja Stambha from Eran (Madhya Pradesh) which tells us how Iron pillar would have looked like before its destruction and reappropriation in a mosque
Pillar has images of Vishnu and Garuda at the top and is dated to 484 CE pic.twitter.com/G5ktfrp0gg
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) December 2, 2017
The Iron pillar is a testimony to high level of skill achieved by ancient Hindu Iron smiths. It has withstood corrosion for 1600 years
One reason why Muslim sultans simply appropriated the pillar instead of destroying it. There could not have made such a pillar
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) December 2, 2017
