JANTAR MANTAR

JANTAR MANTAR

The Jantar Mantar monument in Jaipur, Rajasthan is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, and completed in 1734. It features the world's largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. it is located near City Palace and Hawa Mahal of Jaipur, the monument features masonry, stone and brass instruments that were built using astronomy and instrument design principles of ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts.^[The instruments allow the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye. The monument expresses architectural innovations, as well as the coming together of ideas from different religious and social beliefs in 18th-century India.The observatory is an example of the Ptolemaic positional astronomy which was shared by many civilizations.

The monument features instruments operating in each of the three main classical celestial coordinate systems: the horizon-zenith local system, the equatorial system and the ecliptic system.The Kapala Yantraprakara is one that works in two systems and allows transformation of the coordinates directly from one system to the other.

The monument was damaged in the 19th century. Early restoration work was undertaken under the supervision of Major Arthur Garrett, a keen amateur astronomer, during his appointment as Assistant State Engineer for the Jaipur District.

History

In the early 18th century, Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five Jantar Mantars in total, in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathuraand Varanasi; they were completed between 1724 and 1735.

The jantars have evocative names like Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash, Ram Yantra and Niyati Chakra; each of which are used to for various astronomical calculations. The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.^[3]

List Of Instruments:

Samrat Yantra

Jai Prakash Yantra

Disha Yantra

Rama Yantra

Chakra Yantra

Rashiwalay Yantra

Dingash Yantra

Utaansh Yantra

Name

The name "Jantar Mantar" is at least 200 years old, finding a mention in an account from 1803.^[4] However, the archives of Jaipur State, such as accounts from 1735 and 1737–1738, do not use thisas Jantra, which in the spoken language is corrupted to Jantar.^[4]The word Jantra is derived from yantra, instrument, while the suffix Mantar is derived from mantrana meaning consult or calculate.^[4]The words jantar and 'mantar (or yantra and mantra) means calculation instrument.

Jantar Mantar Observatory

Jantar mantar is located near City Palace and Hawa Mahal of Jaipur. The observatory is collection of 19 geometric devices for measuring time and space for astronomy. It is also used for observing the orbits around the Sun. While the previous observatory like King Ulugh Beg was build from metal but it was less accurate and not use for long period. So Sawai Jai Singh II decided to build the observatory instruments with stone and marble because stone life is longer than metal and does not wear and tear easily. The instruments allow the visitors to observe the astronomical positions with the naked eye. Some of the instruments are built from bronze.

Jantar Mantar is situated in 18,700 square meters of area. The observatory restored several times during these years particularly in 1902 in British rule and also in 2006 and replaced some of the original materials of construction with different materials. It is still in use today, both for teaching and calculation purposes and retains extra-ordinary accuracy. Some of the instruments uses are still mystery for visitors and how we can use them and how accurate predication they gave in time of 18th century. And some of the instruments are largest in world. Now it is part of a National monument of Rajasthan and also a part of UNASCO world heritage site. Some of the instruments used in the observatory of Jantar mantar Jaipur Rajasthan India are mentioned below.

Jaipur sundial at Jantar mantar (Vrihat Smarat Yantra)

The Vrihat Samrat yantra is a sundial that can give the local time to an accuracy of 2 seconds. Restored A.D. 1901 tested by jotshi Gokul chand bhawan for finding time and declination and hour angle of the heavenly bodies. It is the largest sundial ever built with a gnomon arm 22.6 meter high and largest quadrants of radius 15.5 meter. The shadow of the triangular wall, which is placed in the north-south direction with an angle equal to the latitude of this location 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 respectively. Each hour is divided in 15 minutes and later in 1 minute parts. The minute part has ten subdivisions each of 6 seconds each of which again has three small divisions of 2 seconds each. The correction factor which is to be added for the day is displayed to convert the time obtained from this instrument to the clock time.

Small samrat yantra

The small samrat yantra is a sundial that can give the time to an accuracy of 20 seconds. The shadow of the triangular wall of the yantra, falling on the eastern & western side quadrants, tells the local time. The triangular wall, with the angle inside the wall is place exactly in the north-south direction. The shadow of the triangular wall moves equal distances in equal time intervals on the quadrants. This movement is calibrated to read the local time. The western & eastern quadrants are divided into subdivisions, each of 6 hours, for the morning and the afternoon segments respectively. Each hour is further divided into 5 minutes and 1 minute divisions, and each 1 minute division is subdivided into 3 divisions each of 20 seconds. The correction factor, to be added to convert the sundial time to the clock time for the day is displayed near the instrument.

Unnatamsa

Unnatamsa is an instrument for measuring altitude the angular height of an object in the sky.

Rasivalaya (zodiacal circle)

Rasivalaya are instruments for measuring the celestial latitude and longitude of the celestial bodies. There are twelve instruments which represent the twelve signs of the zodiac, one for each measurement to be done when the corresponding sign of the zodiac transits the meridian.

Jaya prakash yantra

Repaired A.D. 1901 representation of half celestial sphere rim represents horizon for finding all the positions of the heavenly bodies.

Nadivalaya (equatorial instrument / circular dial)

The nadivalaya has two circular plates, facing north and south which are its dials. The wall of the plates is inclined towards the south at such an angle that the instrument remains parallel to the plane of the Earths equator.

Chakra yantra

The chakra yantra is a ring instrument which measures the global co-ordinates of declination and the hour angle of a celestial object.

Digamsa (Azimuth)

The digamsa is a cylindrical instrument that has a simple method of determining the azimuth of a celestial object. Digamsa or the azimuth of a celestial object is the relative angular position of the object measured east words starting from the direction north.

Ram Yantra

The Ram Yantra can measure the local co-ordinates of altitude and azimuth of a celestial object.

Rama yantra A

Repaire A.D. 1891 tested by jotshi Gokul chand bhawan. This gives the altitude and azimuth of the sun and of the heavenly bodies.

Karnti writta

The use of this instrument is to find the declination and distance from the ecliptic and equinox of the sun and stars.

Krantivrtta

The krantivrtta is an instrument that is meant to measure the celestial latitude and celestial longitude of an object in the sky. It is also used for measuring solar sign of the sun in daytime.

Yantra Raj

The yantra raj is an adaptation of an astrolabe a medieval instrument for the measurement of time and the positions of celestial objects.