The Qutub Minar is one of New Delhi’s most well-known landmarks and is popular among citizens and tourists due to its commanding view over the city and its place in history. The 13th century minaret forms part of the Qutub complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Qutub Minar is a 73-metre tall tapering tower with five storeys, a 14.3 metres base diameter that reduces to 2.7 metres at the top of the peak. The construction of the building was started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, and was completed by Aibak’s successor and son-in-law Shamsuddin Iltutmish in 1220. Over the years, the minaret has been damaged several times due to natural calamities and rebuilt by different rulers.
Of late, Signify, formerly known as Philips Lighting, has lit this iconic structure in association with The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited India (NBCC India). The lighting project included illumination of the iconic minaret and the historically significant monuments of the Qutub complex surrounding it.
Signify provided 445 LED light points in warm white colour to create an impressive design emphasising the tower’s architectural features. The new LED lighting also enables the tower to project itself as an urban icon in the heart of New Delhi’s Mehrauli area, further enhancing the image of the city and encouraging night tourism.
The newly installed LED lights are not only energy efficient, but also more cost effective over the long run due to their lower power consumption and durability, when compared to conventional lighting. While some parts of the ancient monument were already illuminated before this project, the newly installed lighting will significantly spruce up the Minar complex, enabling visitors to have a detailed view of its opulent architecture, calligraphic verses, corbels, and intricate carvings even at night, whilst increasing footfalls at the monument as well.
“The Qutub Minar has an enduring social texture reflecting the city’s identity as the historic political center of the country. We are proud to bring the magic of the minaret to life at night with our Color Kinetics LED lighting that highlights its architectural features and at the same time is cost effective and energy efficient,” says Sumit Padmakar Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Signify’s operations in India.
This latest project complements the illumination of other historical monuments such as Red Fort and Safdarjung Tomb that have been executed by Signify, supporting the city’s efforts to encourage night tourism.
