Mysterious Rust Resistant Iron Pillar of Delhi

The iron pillar in Delhi, due to its excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion, fascinates scientists all over the world.

The skill and the technology possessed by the ancient Indians may not be agreed by the present day historians, but the truth cannot be suppressed for long. The Iron Pillar standing tall at Mehrauli, Delhi stands proof of how advanced science ancient India has.

The Pillar stand at the centre of the Quwwatul Mosque, near Qutub Minar, is a 7m-high iron pillar that is much more ancient than any of the surrounding monuments. It is one of the Delhi’s most curious structures highlighting ancient India’s achievements in metallurgy. The iron pillar at Delhi has fascinated many people all over the world due to its amazing resistance to atmospheric corrosion.

It has not been rusted over the past 1600 years, due to both the dry atmosphere and its incredible purity. This pillar has been found to be the handiwork of a great Vishnu Bhakth namely Chandragupta II Vikramaditya.

Based on inscriptions on the pillar and archaeological evidence, the Iron Pillar of Delhi was originally located in Udayagiri near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. It was brought to its current location in 1233 AD by Shams-ud-din Iltutmish during his invasion of Malwa. It was erected as a flag pole and it is still a mystery that how this pillar moved to the present location in Qutub Minar.

This corrosion resistance property of the Iron Pillar in Qutab Minar is may be due to the purity of its iron; high phosphorus; absence of any other metal; cinder coating formed on the surface; better forge welding; drier and uncontaminated atmospheric condition and mass metal effect. Hence the Iron Pillar’s non-rusting mystery could have many possible answers. There are many archaeologists, historians and scientists who have been studying it for so many centuries now. But it still remains entangled in a web of mysteries, challenging the present and the future generations to unravel its secret and get to know the miracles of our enriched past.