NEW DELHI, 1 January 2004 — The 12th century Qutub Minar in New Delhi, said to be one of the tallest towers in the world, will soon be open to visitors after 23 years, Tourism Minister Jagmohan said in a report yesterday.
The monument was sealed in 1981 after 40 school children died in a stampede on its narrow staircase. The tragedy followed a series of suicides from the top of the tower.
The five-story Qutub Minar has a red and buff sandstone exterior, is 72.5 meters high and has 379 steps. It is said to be higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Great Pagoda, the Indian Express newspaper reported.
Jagmohan said visitors will only be allowed up to the first floor, in orderly batches of 20. He said the slippery staircase had been renovated to prevent accidents.
Some, like the minister, who have been inside the Qutub Minar say it offers a spectacular view of New Delhi.
Jagmohan said he first climbed the tower in 1949 as a college student. “These are memories that you carry with yourself through your life. They never go away.”
