'Qutub Minar': Hindu Groups Stage Protest in Push to Rename UNESCO Heritage Site

Last month, a Hindu group demanded that the ancient temple of the Muslim era, Qutub Minar, be renamed. Qutub Minar, which is 72.5 metres high, was built in 1193 after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom, on the ruins of Lal Kot (the Red Fort), which is often referred to as Delhi's first city.
Sputnik
Dozens of Hindu activists were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after the demonstrators staged a protest demanding the centuries-old minaret Qutub Minar be renamed 'Vishnu Stambh' (Lord Vishnu's pillar).
The protesters also tried to enter the premises, which is considered to be the world's tallest brick minaret.
Activists from the Mahakal Manav Sewa group and other Hindu groups carried placards and chanted slogans at the demonstration which attracted a heavy police deployment at the Qutub Minar, which UNESCO recognised as a World Heritage Site in 1993.
The protesters also chanted "Hanuman Chalisa" the prayer dedicated to Lord Hanuman, on the Qutub premises.
In April, a group of workers from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) (World Council of Hindus), including the organisation's spokesman Vinod Bansal, visited the site and claimed that a total of 27 temples were demolished to get the bricks for the construction of the Qutub Minar.
The group demanded that the ancient temples be rebuilt so that Hindus can pray there.
Qutub Minar was named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki; its construction was begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who later became the first Muslim ruler of Delhi of the Mamluk Dynasty. It was partially completed by his successor Iltutmish in 1215, with the two upper tiers being built at later dates.
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