If you love to explore something different from just markets and palaces so there is a fascinating place called Jantar Mantar. It is located at the heart of the city of Jaipur. It can be a great place to visit for Architects, Mathematicians, Historians, and Geographers. It is identified as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with Jaipur, Jantar Mantar is also in cities like Mathura, Delhi, Ujjain, and Varanasi.
History and Importance of Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar was built by the famous Rajput king who was the second founder of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh. The whole was built and established in the year 1734. It is a place where 20 astronomical instruments have fixed positions. It is constructed to experience the instruments with the naked eye to revive some architectural innovations and also to calculate them.
Tourists visit these places to see astronomical skills and to gain cosmological knowledge. Its stone instruments are considered to be accurate more than others. It is an observatory that studies-
- Ancient Sanskrit Scriptures.
- European literature about instrumental astrology.
- Maragheh.
Reason.
Sawai Jai Singh wanted to find out the reason for locating the position of astronomical instruments but it has not been accurate with positions calculated on the table. After that, he decided to build 5 more new observatories to know the correct position of instruments.
This is a structure with 19 astronomical instruments which have the utmost difference which measure time, to know about the accurate positions of the stars and determine the celestial altitudes. These are the lists of astronomical instruments ;
- Chakra Yantra.
Chakra Yantra is a ring instrument through which daily calculations are possible. It calculates and coordinates the hour angle of the Sun. Chakra Yantra of this has four semi-circular arcs on which the gnomon throws the shadow to calculate the declination of the Sun four times a day.
- Digamsha Yantra.
Digamsha Yantra is a must to witness instrument among all other instruments. It is a pillar of two centric outer circles to calculate the time of sunrise and sunset. It is also known for determining the azimuth of a celestial object.
- Dhruva Darshak Pattika.
Dhruva Darshak Pattika is solely responsible for finding out the exact location of the Pole Star concerning other celestial objects.
- Virat Samrat Yantra.
It is a vast Sundial that is placed at the its Observatory. The length is 27 meters long and known as the tallest sundial in the world with a radius of 15.5 meters. It is located at the north-south location of its to see the sun’s time by recording its movement. Virat Samrat Yantra is known as the supreme instrument which measures time to the precision of two seconds.
- Laghu Samrat Yantra.
It is a smaller form of Virat Samrat Yantra because it calculates the time to the precision of twenty seconds. The ramp of these sundials points towards the north pole to calculate its position on the carved scale. The shadow of the triangular wall moves at an equal distance alone.
- Ram Yantra.
Ram Yantra is an upright building that measures the azimuth and elevation of the Sun and the planets. And the structure of this yantra in the whole this is different as it contains a pair of tube-shaped structures, which are open to the sky. Each of these structures has its pole which is of equal height at the center. Scales are transcripted in the wall which indicates the angle of altitude and azimuth of extra celestial bodies.
- Jaya Prakash Yantra.
It is the most eye-captivating yantra as it has two hemispherical bowls-like Sundials with marble slabs. The image of the sky falling on the slabs then it helps in calculating hours angles and the correct position of heavenly bodies.
- Nadivalaya.
Nadivalaya represents two hemispheres that are facing north and south through its two circular plates. The structure is designed in a way that the walls of the plates are inclined in such a way it makes the instrument always parallel to Earth’s equatorial plane.
- Karnti Vritya.
Don’t dare to miss one of the amazing instruments which is the Karnti Vritya as it very unique and is used to measure the solar sign of the Sun.
- Misra Yantra.
In this, the meaning of Misra yantra is mixed instruments which is a combination of five different instruments.
- Disha Yantra.
In this Disha Yantra is used to know the direction.
- Rashi Valaya Yantra.
In Rashi Valaya Yantra 12 gnomon dials help in measuring in ecliptic coordinates stars, planets, and 12 constellation systems.
- Raj Yantra.
In Jantar Mantar, Raj Yantra is a 2.43-meter bronze astrolabe considered one of the largest in the world which is used very frequently to measure the Hindu calendar.
All these instruments are major sights of attraction which are built from local stone and marble. Every instrument carries an astronomical scale.
Best Time to Visit.
On your Jaipur Trip make sure to visit Jantar Mantar in the mid noon in the day time as you can witness Sun vertically above that will help you to interpret readings in a very easy manner,
Best Month To Visit.
If planning a trip to Jaipur then try to make it in between October to September try to avoid summers as there is too much heat.
Charges to visit Jantar Mantar.
For Indian Citizens- Rs. 50 per person.
For Indian students- Rs.15 per person.
For Foreign Tourists- Rs.200 per person.
Places to visit near Jantar Mantar.
For saving your precious time you can visit soo many places along with Jantar Mantar which are the following.
- Hawa Mahal.
- City Palace.
- Tripolia Gate.
- Goverdhan Temple.
Conclusion.
Jantar Mantar is managed under the Archeological Sites and Monuments Act of Rajasthan since 1961 and hence protected as the national monument of Rajasthan since 1968. Jantar Mantar is a very unique tourists place so it has its utmost significance. Jantar Mantar has also been used as a spot for shooting the film The Fall as a Maze. Every instrument of Jantar Mantar has its quality to measure something.
Frequently Asked Questions.
- What is Jantar Mantar famous for?
For astronomical observation, the site was built in the 18th century.
- What is the best time of day to visit Jantar Mantar?
The best time of the day is midday.
- What is the ticket price of Jantar Mantar?
For Indian Citizens- Rs. 50 per person.
For Indian students- Rs.15 per person.
For Foreign Tourists- Rs.200 per person.