The Iron pillar inscription

The Gupta Brahmi tells the tales of a great warrior king Chandragupta II

Quite inconspicuous and humble in comparison but probably even more interesting and mystifying is the Iron Pillar of Delhi.

Meharauli… A bustling neighbourhood of the country’s capital. Its name is on the list of every tourist to Delhi, for it has the Qutub Complex with the towering Minaret, the famed Qutub Minar (Victory Tower). Its ornate exterior and exquisite Islamic calligraphy has attracted thousands of tourists to the complex each year.Quite inconspicuous and humble in comparison but probably even more interesting and mystifying is the Iron Pillar of Delhi. It is a part of the same Qutub Complex. It has on its surface one of the most well preserved examples of the Brahmi script.

It stands at 7.21 meters high and weighs over 6 tons. It was originally erected by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375 – 414 AD) said to be in the front of the Vishnu Temple complex in Udaygiri (402 AD). It was later shifted by Anangpal in 10th Century CE to its present day location.

Another aspect that makes this pillar a subject of study is the inscription on it. The language of this ancient carved text is Sanskrit while the script is Brahmi (Gupta Brahmi). It dates 4th century AD and the writing indicates that the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhwaja, standard of God on the hill known as Vishnupad. The poetic style text also glorifies a mighty king, Chandra who is believed to be the great Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II.

The signage on the wall of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque among whose remains stands this iconic column has the translation and the transcription of the inscription on the Iron Pillar. Just like the text, the process by which it is made also has been a subject of research. The process called Forge Welding and retention of certain elements have created an anti corrosive layer which has ensured that the pillar preserves the script and information that are a beautiful part of a rich Indian history. To date the Iron Pillar remains as an excellent specimen of the striking Gupta Brahmi Script.