Jantar mantar- “The house of instruments”

The king of the pink city, Maharaja Jai Singh II was a smart king who had believes in the astronomy. Between 1727 and 1734, he built an observatory in the western central regions of India, and jaipur was one of them. The observatory was named as “jantar mantar”. He constructed five such unique forms in which jaipur was the largest and preserved of them all. It is known as “The expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period.” The name jantar mantar means the calculation instrument. A keen astronomer major Arthur Garrett built this observatory keeping in mind the astronomical concepts and analysis.

Jantar Mantar consists of fourteen geometric devices which can measure time, predict eclipse, track stars with the location of earth orbiting around the sun, decline of planets and determining the celestial altitudes. All the instruments in general are large structures attributing the specific prediction. Declared as the national monument in 1948, every instrument has its own uniqueness built by the stones and marbles carrying an astronomical scale. The unique characteristics of each instrument individually share a place of pride in the book of the pink city.

Samrat Yantra also known as sundial, the largest of the entire instruments is plotted to predict the time of the day. With the perfect angle towards the latitude of jaipur, one can easily focus and predict the time. Sundial is the largest instrument ever to predict the time to stand twenty seven metres tall. On top of that is the Hindu Chattri also knows as Small Cupola which is a stage to predict the eclipse and the arrivals of the monsoons. Ram yantra is one such instrument which is an example of excellent architectural deigns and its relation to function. The local astronomers use these instruments to predict the monsoon for farmers. JayaPrakash yantra(instrument) attributes the hollowed out hemisphere on the concave surface used to observe the alignment of the position of a star with windows edges.  Jantar mantar is one place of learning for the students of astronomy and Vedic astrology. Probably jantar mantar is the only practical proof left for the Vedic astrology other than texts. Many such instruments carry specific astrological meaning serving to the society and the universe. The yantra (instruments) involved in the premises of jantar mantar shares the equal importance and excellence, with are the only practical large instruments predicting astronomy in the world.

Jantar mantar is the perfect fusion of the astronomical intelligence with the typical heritage of Rajasthan. On one side, if the instruments symbolize the astronomical predictions then on the other side, the same marble made instrument honours the heritage of the state. Built in earlier days, the significance of this national monument can still be felt. Jantar mantar is one in the list of pride of Rajasthan. Jantar mantar is the only designation of solid geometry of this large structure which synonyms the prediction of astronomy at such an accurate rate. Though build in old times, no one can doubt the accuracy and prediction of astronomy through these instruments. Jantar mantar, today, is one popular attraction to the tourists and travellers to jaipur which not only leaves the impression of excellent architecture but also the idea and amazement involved in the interpretations of astrology. Jantar mantar, “the house of instruments”, “the pride of the pink city” is one foremost name in the places to visit in jaipur.