Jantar Mantar, Delhi India

Introduction

This astronomical observatory is regarded as the largest of the five built in Jaipur, New Delhi, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura. It also has the world’s largest sundial.

Derived from the Sanskrit, terms ‘Yantra’ and ‘Mantra’ which means instruments and formula, it slowly changed into Jantar Mantar (Jantar means magical).

This exquisite structure is the most suitable place for a tourist with the unquenching thirst to know about the universe.

History

This astronomical observatory took its origin from the ardent desire of Maharaja Jai Singh II, the founder of the pink city to know more about the universe and to use this place to sit with other scholarly astronomers such as P.T Kedar Nath.

 So he studied the subject of astronomy and constructed five different observatories around North India.

 Renovations were done time and again to this observatory.

If has various devices to give accurate measurements of time , declination of the sun, position of the constellation and many other astronomical phenomena.

This had a proper functioning only for seven years as they failed to derive précised astronomical observations.

Architectural Elegance

There are 14 major geometric devices measuring time, tracking constellations and noting the orbits around the sun.

To look into the mysteries of the universe there are the structures within the Jantar mantar like Samrat yantra, Hindu  Chhatri and the Jai Prakash Yantra.

Jantar Mantar Rajasthan    

This magnificient observatory has the following devices—

(i) Rama Yantra – to indicate the altitude or declination of heavenly bodies.

(ii) Jai Prakash Yantra—a two hemispherical bowl of structure , this represents the heavenly sphere and a vertical rod in the middle. It finds the positions of the heavenly bodies during days and nights.

(iii) Dhruva Yantra—to locate the position of 12 zodiac signs and the pole star at night.

(iv) Narivalya Yantra—it is a sundial with two deals—the first facing south reads time when sun is in the southern hemisphere—from 21 September to 21 March and the other facing North from 21 March to 21 September.

(v) Kranti Yantra—to measure the longitude and latitude of the extra-terrestial.

(vi) Raj Yantra—used once in a year to calculate the Hindu calendar.

(vii) Chakra Yantra—to give the angle of an object from the equator.

(viii) Disha Yantra—it is a compass always pointing to the north.

So a beautiful blend of religion, science and art a celestial place to step in.

How to Reach and Exact Location

One can reach Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura by air from anywhere of the country.

Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura also can be reached by rail and road from anywhere of the country.

After reaching the city every one can reach here by catching local buses and also can hire taxis or auto- rickshaws from anywhere throughout the city.

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