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India has always enjoyed a place of repute in the world
whether it is in the field of architecture or science
and technology. Combining the country's expertise in
both these fields is the Jantar Mantar at Delhi, a part
of a series of five observatories built by Raja Sawai
Jai Singh of Rajasthan during the early 18th century
AD across Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi.
Legend has it that the origin of the Jantar Mantar
or Yantra Mandir(literary translated into Temple of
Instruments) was brought about by a disagreement amongst
scholars about celestial positions. It was the dream
child of Swai Jai Singh II, a great astronomer of India.
Built in 1724, the Jantar Mantar was built at a time
that is generally referred to in history as the Dark
Period of Indian History. The Mughal Empire was on a
state of decline after the death of Aurangzeb and Muhammad
Shah, the then Mughal emperor was desperately seeking
alliances with the Hindu Rajput nobility. One of these
was Sawai Jai Singh II of Amber. Passionate about astronomy,
Sawai Jai Singh II once chanced upon a debate amongst
the Hindu and Muslim astrologers in Muhammad Shah's
court over the planetary transits of the period. It
was then, that he offered to rectify the existing planetary
tables, which had been left untouched since the Vedic
period, an offer that was accepted by the grateful Mohammad
Shah.
Though, the observatories are in a state of disuse
today, their importance lies in the fact that, they
prove the capacity of India as a major power in the
world's scientific heritage. It is perhaps this trait
that draws millions of tourists to visit the Jantar
Mantar when they visit Jaipur.
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Jantar Mantar and other tourist attractions of Jaipur
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