Overview
- Features: An array of large architectural astronomical instruments used for measuring time and tracking celestial objects across the sky
- Opening Times: 9am to 4:30pm, daily
- Best Time to Visit: Late October to early March
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Travelled By: Auto rickshaw
- Cost: Foreigner / Indian Rs 200 / 40; composite ticket Rs 350 / 70
- Address: Behind Tripolia Gate, Tripolia Bazar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
- Type: Structure
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Summary
If you’re heading to Jaipur for a holiday, you must visit Jantar Mantar along with City Palace and Hawa Mahal in the Old City. An excursion through Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh’s Jantar Mantar is a unique experience of walking through solid geometry and encountering a collective astronomical system designed to probe the heavens. If this attraction is on your list of places to visit in Jaipur, read this article before you visit for interesting facts about Jantar Mantar, its history and detailed information about the instruments.
10 Interesting Facts About Jantar Mantar Jaipur
Interesting Information About Jantar Mantar Jaipur
- Jantar Mantar Jaipur is located in the Old City, between the City Palace and Hawa Mahal
- Jantar Mantar is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list
- Jantar means “instrument” and mantar means “formula” or “calculation”, hence Jantar Mantar collectively means ‘calculation instrument’
- Jantar Mantar Jaipur is one of five observatories built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, including one in Delhi
- Jantar Mantar Jaipur is modelled on the observatory in Delhi
- The Jaipur observatory is the largest and best preserved of the five observatories
- There are fourteen architectural astronomical instruments at Jantar Mantar Jaipur
- Jantar Mantar Jaipur can be entered on a composite ticket which includes entry into Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Nahargarh Fort and Albert Hall Museum over two days
- Audio guides in various languages are available at Jantar Mantar Jaipur for an additional fee
- Jantar Mantar Jaipur is best visited in the afternoon for best effect
FAQ’s about Jantar Mantar Jaipur
Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Jantar Mantar Jaipur. If you have any other questions about Jantar Mantar, please leave your questions in the ‘Comments’ section below and we will endeavour to answer them as soon as possible.
What is the Jantar Mantar?
Jantar Mantar is a collection of fourteen architectural astronomical instruments for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars’ location as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and related ephemerides.
Who built Jantar Mantar?
Jantar Mantar Jaipur was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the then maharaja (king) of Jaipur.
When was Jantar Mantar built?
Jantar Mantar Jaipur was built in 1734.
Why was Jantar Mantar built?
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh was interested in learning about astronomy and celestial objects so he built five such observatories at different locations, including the one in Delhi after which the Jaipur obsevatory is modelled.
Best Jantar Mantar Jaipur Instruments
While all fourteen astronomical instruments present at Jantar Mantar Jaipur are interesting, the three instruments mentioned below are the best instruments to spend more time understanding their mechanics.
Unnatamsa
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One of the first astronomical instruments we saw as we walked through the entrance was the Unnatamsa. It is an instrument for measuring altitude or the angular height of an object in the sky.
The large brass circle that hangs from the supporting beam is the measuring instrument of the Unnatamsa. The brass circle is pivoted to rotate freely around a vertical axis. The ring has two cross beams in the vertical and horizontal directions. A sighting tube is pivoted at the centre of the circle. It can be moved in the vertical direction to align it towards any celestial object. This pivoting of the Unnatamsa is similar to the Alt-Az mounting of a modern horoscope.
The vertical movement of the sighting tube and the horizontal rotation of the brass ring can be adjusted to sight the celestial object and read the altitude against the markings on the rim of the circle.
Samrat Yantra
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Perhaps the most popular and definitely the largest astronomical instrument we saw at Jantar Mantar is the Samrat Yantra (“The Supreme Instrument”). It is a sundial that can give the local time to an accuracy of 2 seconds.
Technically, this is how it works. The shadow of the triangular wall, which is placed in the North-South direction with an angle equal to the latitude of Jaipur (27 degrees North), moves equal distances in equal time intervals, on the eastern and western side quadrants. This movement is calibrated to read the local time. The western and eastern quadrants are divided into 6 hours each, for the morning and the afternoon segments. Each hour is divided into 15 minutes and then in 1 minute intervals. The minute interval has ten subdivisions each of 6 seconds, each of which has three small divisions of 2 seconds each.
The time read from here is not entirely accurate as a correction factor needs to be added for the day to convert the time obtained from this instrument to the exact clock time.
There is a Hindu chhatri (small cupola) on top of the triangular wall, which is used as a platform for announcing eclipses and the arrival of monsoons.
This instrument is aptly called the Giant Sundial, as it is the world’s largest sundial, standing 90 feet or 27 meters tall. As we stood there watching the shadow which moves visibly at 1 mm per second, or roughly a hand’s breadth (6 cm) every minute, it was quite a profound experience to see its movement.
Jaya Prakash Yantra
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One of the other popular astronomical instruments we encountered in Jantar Mantar is the Jaya Prakash Yantra. This instrument is perhaps the most photographed primarily due to its striped black and white appearance. It is a representation of a half celestial sphere rim which represents the horizon. It is used for finding all the positions of the heavenly bodies.
Interestingly, the observatory is used by astronomers these days to calculate the auspicious date for Indian weddings. Students of astronomy and Vedic (Indian religious) astrology are required to take lessons at the observatory. It is believed that the observatory is the single most collective work of Vedic thought that still survives, apart from the scriptures.
The instruments, in most cases, are huge structures, which are meant to increase their accuracy. However, issues relating to the size of the sun in relation to the instrument, the masons’ skills or lack thereof, and the movement of the foundations over the years, may have resulted in the loss of accuracy of these instruments.
Nevertheless, whether the instruments are accurate or not, the gardens that surround these instruments are lush, well manicured and make for a good outing in itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk through the gardens, while Graham was more fascinated with the astronomical instruments along the way. It was definitely worth spending the morning at Jantar Mantar.
Jantar Mantar Jaipur Timings
9am to 4:30pm, daily
Jantar Mantar Jaipur Address
Behind Tripolia Gate,
Tripolia Bazar,
Jaipur,
Rajasthan,
India
Tell us what you think. Are you planning to visit Jantar Mantar Jaipur? If you’ve been here before, what was your favourite astronomical instrument and why?
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