We were driving past Lado Sarai Sunday evening and noticed something different.

Qutub Minar looked resplendent from afar. It was way more dazzling than on earlier evenings. Qutub Minar features high up in things to do in Delhi. Moreover, given that an image of Qutub Minar is the icon in the Delhi-Fun-Dos logo, it only behooved that we stop and check out this monument.

To give a brief background, the Government has taken a unique initiative in terms of mausoleums in the city. To encourage night tourism in Delhi, they are illuminating some of the mausoleums till late in the evening. Qutub Minar is not the first in this series. The Red Fort, Purana Qila, and Safdurjung Tomb have already been lit up with LED lamps and their entry timings have been extended till late evening. Qutub Minar is the latest piece of history to enter the dazzle circuit.

Qutub Minar has been illuminated with approximately 350 LED lamps. This lighting project was a joint endeavour by The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and NBCC India. The project was just concluded and inaugurated by Union Minister for State Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Sri Prahlad Singh Patel last Saturday, 31^st August 2019.

When we parked at Qutub at about 6:45 p.m. the next evening, there was a sizeable crowd of all sorts in the mausoleum. A golden glow covered the complex. The minarets and the remnants off the old structures looked a blaze. The soft LED lights accentuated the carvings and golden illumination bound the space in a halo. It was difficult to believe that we were not visiting some prehistoric piece of architecture in the Middle East. LED bulbs not only illuminated the Minar and the other structures, they also brightened up the passages and pathways across the complex. The place did not look shady post-sundown any longer. No wonder there was a sizeable number of family crowd even late in the evening. The evening lighting is on from 7 pm to 10 pm every evening.

Many of you would have made a trip to Qutub Minar at some point in time. But now, this iconic piece of our heritage stands transformed. The best way to explain the impact of lighting on Qutub Minar at night is to look at some visuals. We have already posted a quick video our YouTube channel so that you can have a fuller idea off the makeover. These evenings, the Qutub looks like a huge pillar that is made of gold. Dazzling but not hurting the eyes. We could not believe that the lights could change the character of this 13th century mausoleum. We stand corrected.

Minister Sri Prahlad Patel has also inaugurated a new facility on Qutub premises in terms of tickets for Qutub Minar. There is a QR code now that can be scanned for easy purchase of entry tickets. Standies holding the QR code has been placed at strategic positions at the entry gate. In fact, we tried it this time and it worked as a breeze. Moreover you pay less in this process. A ticket for an Indian visitor costs Rs.35 if you are using the QR code. One has to pay Rs. 40 per person if paying via cash at the ticket counter. Needless to say that apart from the lower pricing, the QR code spares people queuing up time in peak season.

Here are some quick tourist facts for a trip to Qutub Minar:

Qutub Minar timings – 7 am to 10 pm

Qutub Minar Metro – The eponymous Qutub Minar Metro is the closest metro station on the Yellow Line. It takes less than 30 minutes from the central Rajiv Chowk Metro station to reach Qutub Minar Metro Station. You may walk or take a transport like an auto rickshaw or e-rickshaw once you alight here.

Qutub Minar ticket – Tickets are available from the counter outside the monument or online. The cash entry fees for Indians are Rs. 40 and for foreigners is Rs. 600. If one pays using cards or via scanning a QR code, the entry fees are discounted. However, when we went, the counter was not accepting cash. We finally paid via the just-launched ticketing system by scanning the QR code.

 

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Today, 18th April is World Heritage day – an international day for monuments and sites. It is celebrated to raise the awareness about preserving human heritage and diversity of our monuments and sites. There are many UNESCO World heritage sites out of which 37 are in India and we have visited many during our travels in India. Some of those, are in this video including Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Humayuns Tomb, Khajuraho Temples, Ajanta Ellora, Kaldeo National Park also known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Red Fort, The Great Himalayan National Park and Amer Fort . Have you been to any UNESCO World Heritage site? Do let us know in comments. Taj Mahal Picture Credit: Sylwia Bartyzel via Unsplash

A post shared by Food and Travel Bloggers (@delhifundos) on Apr 18, 2020 at 4:43am PDT

Qutub Minar pro tip – There is a car parking area slightly away, on the other side of the road. But it is a small chaotic space occupied by tourist buses. We could not find any parking attendant organising this facility. Tourists or even locals are better off using public transport or radio taxis or cabs.

Kudos to all the efforts to promote tourism in our favourite city Delhi. We are spellbound with the new look of Qutub. It is festive and romantic at the same time. We can’t wait to see the illuminated avatars of the other pieces of history in Delhi and write about those. So please keep checking our spaces.

Also Read: Delhi To Gangotri Roadtrip