320 A Sportswoman in India 



figures were silhouetted against the sky, waving pocket- 

 handkerchiefs the size of postage stamps. The Kutab 

 is in shape like a stalk of asparagus standing up on 

 its thick end. It is a wonderful architectural feat as 

 regards its height, its red sandstone is fantastically 

 carved and moulded, and it stands up proudly against 

 the sky, to be seen all over the country. As to its 

 meaning, it is said to have been built by Kutab-ud-dln 

 in order that he might worship the rising sun from its 

 summit ; it had once an ornamental top, but now 

 there is only a railing round it. 



It was a very hot day, and we had a warm drive 

 on to the ruined and deserted city which the house 

 of Taghlak built (one of the many deserted cities). 

 It was an interesting but a sad and dreary sight. 

 The country round was barer than ever, rocks and 

 sand and stone as far as the eye could see ; and there, 

 in the middle of it all, this lonely city wall, no living 

 creature near it, left as though some plague had fallen 

 upon the city, and every inhabitant had deserted it. 

 Through the sun-smitten, broad stone wall, which hid 

 everything within it completely, we climbed by means 

 of a breach and an old gateway, and there, as we stood 

 inside it, lay before us the embodiment of desolation. 



Streets were still visible and the remains of houses. 

 Stone is too common, I suppose, for its removal else- 

 where to be worth while. The sun glared down 

 upon the broken walls and beat off the great blocks 

 of sandstone. Here were gateways ; there was a 

 courtyard ; there again the dome of a mosque. Eight 



