Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

Jantar Mantar is one of the oldest astronomical observatories featuring the world’s largest stone sundial, located in the heart of Jaipur. It is no longer a working science center but is maintained as a monument, and education activity sessions, guided tours and music and light shows, are organized here. Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is one of the largest observatories in the world, comprising of remarkable stone assemblies that help to interpret the position of celestial bodies and calculate local time. Enumerated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Jantar Mantar attracts tourists, historians, astronomers, architects, mathematicians, and geographers. The collection of nineteen astronomical instruments in Jantar Mantar allows the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye. The monument is an exemplification of architectural innovations that was built on ideas from different religious and social beliefs in 18th-century India.

History of Jantar Mantar
Built in the early 18th century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, it is a conglomeration of fixed stones and very large structures. Each has its specific usage. The main reason for it being built was because of the Maharaja’s fascination with celestial objects and movement of different bodies in the sky. Jantar Mantar in Jaipur has 19 large instruments with very specific purposes, the most popular and prominent one being- the Samrat Yantra. It is considered to be largest sundial of the country.

The complete construction of this magnificent monument was concluded in 1734. The main highlight of the instruments is to view observation of celestial objects with the naked eye. It is based on the Ptolemaic positional astronomy that has shared similarities amongst many civilizations over the years. #Trivia: It had attracted scientific minds from across the globe to study the positions of celestial objects and gave rise to widespread scientific deductions such as cosmology.