Chor Minar at Hauz Khas.

The Chor Minar was to strike terror among the wrong doers.

Chor Minar, which means "Tower for the Thief" may be the only visible symbol of retributive law anywhere in the world. The belief is that it was built by Alauddin Khilji in early 14th century to strike terror in the hearts of thieves and other law violators as those convicted of thefts and other offences punishable with death would be beheaded and their severed heads would be hanged from the holes made in this tower for public display. There is also a belief that a large number of Mongols who attacked Delhi during his regime, they were defeated and captured and their severed heads were hanged all around the holes in the Minar for striking terror in the populace. 

The Chor Minar had three recessed arched openings on each side.

The Chor Minar, built of the rubble masonry stands at the center of a platform which has three arched recesses on all four sides. The central recess on the east has a doorway to the tower through a spiral staircase which leads to its top. The Chor Minar is circular in design and tapers towards the top.

There are a large number of holes all around the tower and their numbers indicate that there used to be a large number of severed heads which were hanged from the tower. It is anybody's guess whether this public display of terror ensured better compliance to the rules and laws of the land. The Khilji regime which stood for striking terror was the most short lived dynasties in the Sultanate period. 

The holes in Chor Minar were for hanging severed heads for display to the populace.

Even today, more than 700 years after it was built, Chor Minar gives a strange feeling to the visitor when one closely looks at the tower and its holes and tries to imagine what would have been the actual scene when one or more heads hanged from holes of the tower which looks so harmless today.

The easiest way to reach Chor Minar is taking Chaudhary Dalip Sing Marg from Aurobindo Marg or August Kranti Marg, turning at the triangle which goes towards Laxman Public School, turn right on Chor Minar Marg and at the roundabout you come across Chor Minar.