Jantar Mantar
About Jantar Mantar :
It was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1728. At first glance, Jantar
Mantar appears to be a curious collection of sculptures but in fact each
construction has a specific purpose such as measuring the positions of
stars, altitudes and azimuths, and calculating eclipses. The most
striking instrument is the sundial with its 27 metre high gnomon. The
shadow this casts moves up to 4 metre an hour.
The Jantar Mantar at Jaipur was conceived as a quest for discovering
the mysteries of the Cosmos. The Jantar Mantar is a corruption of the
Sanskrit word yantra mantra meaning instruments and formulae. It was
built not only to verify astronomical observations made at Jaipur, but
also to stimulate interest in astronomy, which had become enmeshed in
theory, superstition and religious jargon.
Instruments at Jantar Mantar :
The samrat yantra consists of a massive triangle with a curved
structure on both sides. The jaiprakash yantra is a two hemispherical
bowl structure representing the celestial spheres and the use of a
vertical rod in the center, giving different positions of celestial
bodies during the day and night. The ram yantra is in the form of a high
cylinder. It is surrounded by circular walls and the shadow of the sun
on the vertical and horizontal marble gradations via the cylinder,
indicates the altitude and the azimuth or declination of celestial
bodies. The composite instrument is heart shaped and includes a sundial
and a massive hemisphere on the northern wall. Sawai Jai Singh’s
attempt to introduce a renaissance in astronomy through Jantar Mantar
never took off due to chaos in the country. The first Indian Prime
Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said that so accurate was his work that
Jai Singh would have been remarkable anywhere. Thoroughly restored in
1901, the Jantar Mantar was declared a national monument in 1948.
Getting There :
From the center of Jaipur, one can take Bus, Taxis or Auto-rickshaws to
reach Jantar Mantar. The monument is situated next to the City Palace in
old Jaipur or the Pink City. Moving to City palace or Jantar Mantar is
very easy as one can get transport in all parts of city.
