JANTAR MANTAR: A SCIENTIFIC MASTERPIECE OF MEDIEVAL INDIA

One of the architectural landmarks in India, the Jantar Mantar bears a testimony to the level of scientific advancement that India had achieved as early as the 18th century. A scientific masterpiece of its times, the Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatory that was built by the Rajput king of Jaipur, Jai Singh II. In the year 1727, he sent emissaries all over the world to gather the most precise astronomical data. On their return, with the help of the information gathered, he ordered for an astronomical observatory to be built, which came to be known as the Jantar Mantar complex, a scientific miracle of its times. It is completely built from stone. In almost a decade, around five such astronomical observatories were built in the cities of Jaipur, Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi, with a view to record the movements of celestial bodies.
These astronomical observatories have many uniquely shaped buildings, each with a specialised role in astronomical measurements. These scientific giants of medieval India have enchanted historians, artists, archaeologists and tourists all over the world for centuries.
The two main Jantar Mantar complexes, situated in Jaipur and Delhi, respectively have been described as follows:
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur: One of the five astronomical observatories built by Jai Singh II between the years 1727 and 1733 at his new capital of Jaipur, Rajasthan, modelled after the one he had built in the Mughal capital, Delhi. The Jantar Mantar at Jaipur, or the Yantra Mantra as it was originally called, is the biggest astronomical observatory made of stone in the entire world. The word ‘jantar’ means instrument and ‘mantar’ means formula or calculation. The observatory at Jaipur has 14 main geometric devices for the purpose of keeping a track of celestial bodies, to measure time, to determine the declination of the planets, etc. The largest structure in the observatory is the Samrat Jantar, its height being 90 feet, meant for the purpose of measuring time of the day. Hindu Chattri on top of this is used as a place for announcing the arriving monsoons and eclipses. The structures are built from marbles and stones to a scale, for the purpose of increasing their accuracy. It also has the Samrat Yantra, the world’s biggest sundial. The smaller instruments like the Ram Yantra also display profound architectural designs. All these structures make this complex a thrilling and enlightening experience for the tourist.
Jantar Mantar, Delhi: The Jantar Mantar, Delhi is located in the Connaught Place area and is one of the popular attractions of the capital. Comprising of 13 observatories built in the year 1724, the Jantar Mantar at Delhi was built with the main purpose of recording and predicting the movement of the sun, planets and the moon and also for assembling astronomical tables. The four most important instruments at this Jantar Mantar are Samrat Yantra, Jayaprakash Yantra, Ram Yantra and the Misra Yantra. The Samrat Yantra is a 70 feet high giant triangle that is also called the ‘supreme instrument’ as it serves the purpose of a sundial (equal hour), with the added feature of recording the declinations of celestial bodies. Jayaprakash Yantra are hollowed out hemispherical structures that have markings on the surface. The Ram Yantra can enable one to find the alignment of a star. The Misra Yantra could point out noontime in the different cities of the world.
These are the major attractions of Jantar Mantar, Delhi. A visit to theses sites not only enlightens a tourist about our rich past and achievements in the scientific field, but are the standing testimony of architectural, engineering and scientific genius of that era.