Place: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Time: 9:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M.(Daily)
Entry fees: Rs.4.00
Best time to visit: October to February
Nearest Airport: Sanganer Airport - Jaipur (domestic
flights)
Exploring Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar is a major tourist attraction in Jaipur that lures
tourist from all over the world. The Jantar Mantar is a re-phrasal
of the Sanskrit word yantra mantra which mean instruments and
formulae.
Maharaja Sawai Singh II who built five observatories in India, one
of them is at Jaipur in the City Palace complex constructed in 1728.
And other was built at Ujjain in 1734, Varanasi in 1737, Mathura in
1738 and the earliest in Delhi in 1724. The monument was made to
measure the local time, the sun's declination, altitude, the
declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses.
Within the Observatory
The Samrat Yantra
Samrat yantra or the 'Supreme Instrument' consisting of a massive
triangle with a curved shape on both sides, was created by Jai
Singh. When the sun moves across the sky, it gives a shadow on
finely calibrated arms extending on either side.
Jai Prakash Yantra
This is a multipurpose instrument comprising of hemispherical
surfaces of concave shape. Basically, it is used to find out the
positions of the celestial bodies during days and nights.
The Ram Yantra
The Ram yantra is a cylindrical structure surrounded by circular
walls and the shadow of the sun on the vertical and horizontal
marble. The beauty of the instrument is, that it gives us direct
readings. In the center of the instrument, a perpendicular rod is
fixed, which is of the same height of the building itself.
Composite Instrument
It is a heart shaped instrument endorsing massive triangular
central gnomon and circles.
Other Instruments
Other major yantras or instruments are: Small 'Samrat',
'Narivalya', 'Dhruva', The Observer's Seat, Small 'Kranti',
'Unnathamsa', 'Raj' 'Disha', 'Dakshina', Large 'Samrat',
'Rashivalayas', Small 'Ram', Large 'Diganta', Large 'Kranti'.
At present, the Jantar Mantar has become a major tourist attraction
in Jaipur. For tourists the travel tip to Jaipur is incomplete
without a visit to Jantar Mantar.
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