Jantar Mantar in Delhi has been derived from Sanskrit language. Yantra (Jantar) means instruments and mantra means formulae. Hence in the parlance of scientific community, Jantar Mantar is an observatory to accomplish scientic purposes at the time when high performing, result oriented modern day scientific instruments were nowhere in sight.
It was constructed in 1724 by the Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh who fostered the idea of building a fully functional and well equipped structure that can obviate the need of inaccurate astronomical instruments present at that time. Hence Jantar Mantar came into existence. The whole structure is made of stone and marble where every contour has significance of its own. The Samrat Yantra, the Ram Yantra, the Jayaprakash and the Mishra yantra, are few of the elite 13 instrument that were used to study movements and behavior of heavenly bodies namely, the sun, the moon and stars.
Once a harbinger of scientific era and an epitome of inventiveness in field of astronomy, Jantar Mantar has lost its sheen as an instrument of measurement; the reason being construction of building around the structure which hinders the process of accurate observations. Nevertheless, a scientific trailblazer, Jantar Mantar, is now serving as "ground zero" for people with a cause who likes to see India veering and thriving towards a better and brighter future.
History & Background
Jantar Mantar dates back to the times when people rarely knew about time. In that era of aloofness, Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five extraordinarily amazing astronomical observatories for calculating precise and accurate time. Jantar Mantar of Delhi was the first among those five observatories. The other 4 are located at Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.
Architecture
This lime plastered astronomical marvel is designed using brick rubble. It has four distinct instruments, which continue to be repaired without any serious altercation. ? Samrat Yantra The Samrat Yantra was designed by Sawai Jai Singh II to measure accurate time up to half a second. This yellowish instrument located on the right is the one of the largest instruments and stands at a height of 70 feet, breadth of 114 feet and a thickness of 10 feet. It has a 27 meters high arm at an inclination of 27 degrees. ? Jai Prakash Jai Prakash too was designed by the great Jai Singh II. This arm is responsible for depicting the position of the sun and various other astronomical bodies. It consists of a pair of hollowed out hemispheres. The concave surface of both the hemispheres was calibrated with markings that helped in determining the positions. ? Mishra Yantra Mishra Yantra is the only instrument in the entire observatory, which was not designed by Jai Singh II. This yantra helped in ascertaining the longest day as well as the shortest day of the year. To calculate these, two pillars were erected in the southwest direction. ? Ram Yantra Ram Yantra was used for the measurement of the altitude of stars. Its structure strikes a stark resemblance to the Roman duel Coliseums.
Timings and Entry Fee of Jantar Mantar
The opening time of Jantar Mantar is 6 AM and the closing time is 6 PM. It is open on all days of the week. The Jantar Mantar entry fee is Rs.15 per person for Indian visitors while for foreign tourists, the ticket price is Rs.200 per person. The entry fee for SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors is Rs.15 per person.
How to reach Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar is located in the heart of Delhi city, hence it is easily accessible by road and metro rail. The nearest metro station to Jantar mantar is Patel Chowk. Tourists can also take local city buses as well as auto-rickshaws and taxis to reach here. Jantar Mantar is located on the Sansad Marg in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
