Jantar Mantar – The ideal Place to Observe the Heavenly Bodies
Jantar Mantar in Connaught Place, New Delhi was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II, the ruler and founder of Jaipur, in India. It is an ancient monument, built in 1724, and is counted among the five astronomical observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh II as he was given the task of revising the calendar and astronomical tables, by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. Besides Jantar Mantar, the rest of the four observatories are located at Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. The main reason behind building te Jantar Mantar observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and also to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and other planets.
Jantar Mantar is a popular tourist destination among Indian as well as foreign travelers. The structure undoubtedly is another great masterpiece of Indian architecture which shows the scientific acumen of ancient India. Jantar Mantar is also called Delhi Observatory and is situated at Parliament Street, very close to Connaught Place. Though in Delhi, it is maintained by the Jaipur government because it was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1710 A.D.
This is a remarkable structure which consists of fourteen geometric devices which was used for measuring time, forecasting weather changes, predicting behavior of planets and finding extraterrestrial altitude. All these devices are fixed structures for over centuries and point to a specific direction. The largest device or instrument here is called Samrat Jantar, which is a 90 feet high instrument with its shadow plotted in such a manner to show the exact time of the day. Any weather change or the onset of monsoons can be ascertained by the Hindu Chhatri, which is a small domed structure.Compared to the other observatories, Jantar Mantar is the largest and the best preserved observatories of the lot today. The whole structure of Jantar Mantar is made of stone and marble with each of them having an engraved astronomical scale. It’s in 1948 Jantar Mantar got the status of a national monument. Jantar Mantar Observatory in Connaught Place, New Delhi is an integral part of India’s scientific heritage.
For the tourists to reach Jantar Mantar observatory, which is located at the central location, there are many ways. From all major points there are auto-rickshaws and local taxis available while taxis and cabs are also available on request. One can take local buses from different places or from two of the Inter State Bus Terminals located at Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar. Nowadays Delhi Metro Train is also one of the best options to reach Rajiv Chowk Metro Station and from there Jantar Mantar is at a walking distance. Time to visit Jantar Mantar is daily between 9.00am – 7.00pm.
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