Jantar Mantar Jaipur

Jantar Mantar Jaipur, is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of some twenty main fixed instruments. They are monumental examples in masonry of known instruments but which in many cases have specific characteristics of their own. The Jantar Mantar is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period.

The Jantar Mantar observatory in Jaipur constitutes the most significant and best preserved set of fixed monumental instruments built in India in the first half of the 18th century; some of them are the largest ever built in their categories. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. The observatory forms part of a tradition of Ptolemaic positional astronomy which was shared by many civilizations. It contributed by this type of observation to the completion of the astronomical tables of Zij. It is a late and ultimate monumental culmination of this tradition.

Through the impetus of its creator, the prince Jai Singh II, the observatory was a meeting point for different scientific cultures, and gave rise to widespread social practices linked to cosmology. It was also a symbol of royal authority, through its urban dimensions, its control of time, and its rational and astrological forecasting capacities. The observatory is the monumental embodiment of the coming together of needs which were at the same time political, scientific, and religious.

History – During early 18th century, Jaipur was ruled by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II who was also the founder of Jaipur. He was a very brilliant astrologer who loved to study philosophy, astrology and architecture. In 1718, the king desired to build an observatory on renown. So he thoroughly studied the subject of astronomy and then started this task. It took him seven years to complete this task. He constructed five different observatories in North India including Jaipur, New Delhi, Ujjan, Varanasi and Mathura.

The first stone observatory was constructed in 1724 in Delhi. He built The Jaipur observatory of Rajasthan in 1728. Along with other scholarly astronomers, such as Pt. Kedarnath, He utilized these places for astronomical observations. Being the largest stone observatory in India, the Jantar Mantar at Jaipur has been renovated and again. The place contains several instruments which are used for time measurement, the azimuth, sun declination and much more. The Jaipur observatory was functional for seven years only, as the Maharaja was not very successful in deriving accurate, astronomical observations. The sad thing is that Jantar Mantar at Jaipur was active for just seven years as the King could not derive accurate astronomical calculations and observations.

Building design – This biggest observatory houses fourteen main geometric instruments to measure time, predict eclipses, track stars in their orbits, ascertain the declination of planets and also to determine the celestial altitudes and related parameters. All the instruments are very focused and fixed. The largest device of Jantar Mantar is The Samrat Jantar which is 90 feet high. By carefully plotting the shadow of Samrat Jantar they predict the time of the day. The face of Samrat Jantar is angled at 27 degrees, the latitude of Jaipur. Another device is The Hindu chhatri (small domed cupola) on top which is utilized as a platform to declare eclipses and the arrival of monsoons.

Most of these instruments are grand structures. The reason they are built on a large scale so that the reading can be very accurate. One must experience the fun of walking through solid geometry and witnessing a collective weapons system which is designed to probe the heavens. The Sundial usually draws the maximum attention of tourists among all the devices. This instrument tells the time to an accuracy of about two seconds in local time of the Pink City. The Sundial is believed to be the largest sundial in the world. In 1948, the beautiful Jantar Mantar is announced as a national monument.

How to reach – One can easily reach Jantar Mantar of Rajasthan from the city by taking local Buses, Rickshaws and Taxis.
The Jantar Mantar is the best symbol of the regal legacy of Jaipur and stands as an example of wisdom of ancient times. After so many years, This wonderful structure still knows how to attract visitors and cosmology fans. The Jantar Mantar is a charming structure, and is an no doubt must visit place in the Pink City.