Aurangabad: The Chand Minar or the Tower of the Moon is a medieval tower in Daulatabad. The tower is located in the state of Maharashtra within the Daulatabad-Deogiri fort complex. It was erected in 1445 C.E by King Ala-ud-din Bahmani to commemorate his capture of the fort.
Chand Minar bears resemblance to the Qutb Minar of Delhi and was inspired from it.
The Chand Minar is considered to be among the finest specimens of Indo-Islamic architecture in Southern India. It is 30-metre high and is divided into 4 stories and 24 chambers. A small mosque sits at the base of the tower which is covered with Persian blue tiles. The Tower also displays some indigenous Indian architectural features such as the brackets supporting it’s balconies. The tower’s height makes it visible from every corner of the Daulatabad Fort.
The Chand Minar used to be covered with Persian glazed tiles. Now they have whitewashed it in faded orange colour which is a clear mismatch.
The base of the minaret has twenty-four small chambers.
The 110 ft Chand Minar is the second tallest tower in India after the Qutb Minar. Stands atop the 200 m high hill, the Minar has four stories. A brass crescent moon crowns the top of this Minar.
It is one of the main tourist attractions in Aurangabad-Daulatabad area.