The Jantar Mantar In New Delhi

Recently, I was on one of my rare visits to Delhi & I had my camera with me. So I could not resist going to Jantar Mantar  on Sansad Marg in Delhi to take pictures for my collection.

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

The first difference which struck me was the red color. The instruments are all colored in red. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is colored in Royal Yellow. The other thing which struck me was that the visitors were all over the monument’s various  instruments made of masonry. This really should be discouraged.

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Jantar Mantars were a brain child of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh of Amber & Jaipur. These were stone astronomical observatories made of masonry and marble etc. so that they would give very accurate readings of the heavenly bodies. Precise calculations of the movement of the  Zodiac, Sun, Moon & Stars was required because all facets of an Indian’s life are governed by them. Furthermore Sawai Jai Singh found  the tables in use then to have several discrepancies because of  various reasons one of which was that the astronomers were using metal instruments of smaller sizes. So he decided to make huge instruments, in masonry no less, at several locations across India so that he could get the most accurate readings. The observatory in Delhi was made in 1724. It has been ruined & repaired several times. Till 1958 AD, the Sawai, the flag of Jaipur state used to fly here. In 1958 the monument was taken over by the ASI.

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

The image of the central part of the ‘Misra Yantra’ was used as the logo of the 1982 Asian games held in Delhi.

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

These  are some of the pictures I clicked.

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

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One response to “The Jantar Mantar In New Delhi

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