Discuss the art and architectural features of iron pillar mehruli
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The iron pillar of Delhi is a structure 23 feet 8 inches (7.2 metres) high with 16 inches diameter that was constructed by Chandragupta II (reigned c. 375-415 CE), and now stands in the Qutb complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, India.[1][2] It is famous for the rust-resistant composition of the metals used in its construction. The pillar weighs over six tonnes (13,228 lb) and is thought to have been erected elsewhere, perhaps outside the Udayagiri Caves,[3] and moved to its present location early in the Delhi Sultanate.
The pillar carries a number of inscriptions of different dates, some of which have not been studied systematically despite the pillar's prominent location and easy access.
The inscription covers an area of 2′9.5″ × 10.5″. The ancient writing is preserved well because of the corrosion-resistant iron on which it is engraved. However, during the engraving process, iron appears to have closed up over some of the strokes, making some of the letters imperfect.[8]
It contains verses composed in Sanskrit language, in shardulvikridita metre.[9] It is written in the eastern variety of the Gupta script. The letters vary from 0.3125″ to 0.5″ in size, and resemble closely to the letters on the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta. However, it had distinctive mātrās (diacritics), similar to the ones in the Bilsad inscription of Kumaragupta I.[10] While the edges of the characters on the Allahabad inscription are more curved, the ones on the Delhi inscription have more straight edges. This can be attributed to the fact that the Allahabad inscription was inscribed on softer sandstone, while the Delhi inscription is engraved on the harder material (iron).[11] The text has some unusual deviations from the standard Sanskrit spelling.