Jantar Mantar narrates the historic tale of perseverance and thirst to uncover entities. It is an intriguing astronomical observatory in the capital, Delhi.
Back in the 18th century – Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur crafted this age-old observatory in the year 1724.
During his entire ruling period – he built a total of 5 observatories and the foremost was established in Delhi, others being in different cities. The main aim behind building these special observatories was to ascertain the movement of celestial bodies (moon, planets, sun) and to predict time. However, it suffered time-worn damage and therefore was taken under the control of government. Later, preserved as a historical monument that showcases our rich heritage as well as intelligence. Today, it stands high with other notable tourist destinations in Delhi.
Ingrained with numerous masonry astrological structures and instruments – Delhi’s Jantar Mantar is built with different assortment of lime stones, bricks and rubble. Also, all the instruments are located outside the observatory, thus making it more alluring. Out of the epic thirteen observatories, there are four distinct instruments, namely –
Samrat yantra: Popularly called ‘supreme instrument,’ it has a large sundial which aids to measure time accurately. In fact, it is recorded as the world’s greatest sundial.
Ram Yantra: It is used to align position of celestial bodies.
Jayaprakash Yantra: Based on the latitude and longitude, this instrument helps to determine altitudes.
Mishra Yantras: It is a combined product which comprises of five different instruments to calculate the longest and shortest days, along with accurate noon time.
