As the row over monuments intensifies, Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) ex Regional Director Dharamveer Sharma has now claimed that the Qutb Minar was constructed by Raja Vikramaditya and not by Qutb al-Din Aibak, to study the direction of the sun.
"It isn't Qutb Minar but a sun tower (observatory tower). It was constructed in the 5th century by Raja Vikramaditya, not by Qutb al-Din Aibak. I have a lot of evidence regarding this," he said. He has surveyed Qutb Minar several times on behalf of ASI.
"There is a 25-inch tilt in the tower of the Qutb Minar. It is because it was made to observe the sun and hence, on June 21, between the shifting of the solstice, the shadow will not fall on that area for at least half an hour. This is science and archaeological fact," he said.
Hence, the one that is called Qutb Minar is an independent structure and is not related to the Masjid near it. Even the door of the Qutb Minar faces the north. That is to see the Dhruv star in the night sky