 A unique structure raised in 1724, now lies in the heart of Delhi's commercial
centre near Connaught place. This is the Jantar Mantar, one of several
astronomical observatories raised by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur.
The various abstract structures within the Jantar Mantar are, in fact,
instruments that were used for keeping track of celestial bodies. Yet,
Jantar Mantar is not only a timekeeper of celestial bodies, it also tells
a lot about the technological achievements under the Rajput kings and
their attempt to resolve the mysteries regarding astronomy. The Jantar
Mantar of Delhi is only one of the five observatories built by Sawai Jai
Singh II, the other four being located at Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and
Mathura.
All of these were built as far back as AD 1724-1730 during the period
generally known as the dark age of Indian history, when the last great
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had died and the Mughal Empire was rapidly declining.
During this period of turmoil, Muhammad Shah ascended the throne of the
Mughal Empire. As many enemies surrounded him, he sought the alliance
of the Hindu rulers. Of these, the most notable was Sawai Jai Singh II
of Amber, who came into limelight since the days of Aurangzeb. When Jai
Singh ascended the throne of Amber in 1699, he was barely eleven, but
sharp and shrewd far beyond his years. The then Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
was so impressed with the young ruler that he gave Jai Singh II the title
of 'Sawai', meaning one and a quarter of an average man in worth.
 As Jai Singh repeatedly proved himself a worthy ally of the Mughals, Muhammad
Shah, who was seeking a dependable ally, zeroed in on Jai Singh and duly
raised him to the rank of governor of Agra and later, of Malwa. Legend
Behind Jantar Mantar Jai Singh was passionate about two things-arts and
the sciences, chiefly astronomy. Once, at the court of Muhammad Shah,
he found the Hindu and Muslim astrologers embroiled in a heated argument
over certain planetary positions. It was imperative that the positions
be known accurately to determine an auspicious hour for the emperor to
set out on an expedition. Jai Singh offered to rectify the then available
astronomical tables, an offer that was readily accepted by the Mughal
emperor.
The result was an onsite Jantar Mantar in Delhi, an astronomical
observatory where the movements of sun, moon and planets could be observed.
Jai Singh's idea was to create a rebirth of
practical astronomy among the Indian masses and practicing astronomers.
However, the lofty ideals of the Jantar Mantar remained unfulfilled as
the country at that time was in chaos and the full potential of this observatory
was never realized. In the beginning, Jai Singh tried to use brass instruments
in this observatory, but soon gave them up because of several inherent
flaws. They were too small, for one thing, their axes were unstable so
the center often got displaced. He then decided to follow the style adopted
by the renowned Arab astronomer, Prince Ulugh Beg, builder of the famous
15th century observatory at Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The massive masonry
instruments at Samarkand suited Jai Singh's architectural tastes and promised
to be more accurate because of sheer size. In 1730, Jai Singh sent a mission
to the king of Lisbon. On its return to Jaipur, the mission brought back
a telescope and the court astronomer by the name of Xavier de Silva. The
Observatory This unique observatory was completed in 1724 and remained
operational only for seven years.
Astronomical observations were regularly made over here and these observations
were used for drawing up a new set of tables, later compiled as Zij Muhammad
Shahi dedicated to the reigning monarch. Jai Singh named his observatory
Jantar Mantar, which is actually pronounced, as 'Yantra Mantra', yantra
for instrument and mantra for formula. A huge sundial known as "Samrat
Yantra" or 'Prince of Dials', meant to measure accurate time of the day
within half a second and the declination of the sun and other heavenly
bodies dominates it.
Jai Singh himself designed this yantra. Other yantras were also meant
for the study of heavenly bodies, plotting their course and predicting
eclipses. The two pillars on the southwest of Mishra Yantra are meant
to determine the shortest and longest days of the year. Interestingly,
in December one pillar completely covers the other with its shadow while
in June it does not cast any such shadow at all. After the completion
of the first Jantar Mantar and with a view to verifying astronomical observations
made at Delhi, Jai Singh built similar, even if smaller observatories,
at other important Indian cities-Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain, and Mathura.
The Jantar Mantars may have fallen into disuse but they remain an integral
part of India's scientific heritage. It presents that the spirit of scientific
enquiry was not dead in India and would have yielded rich results if only
an opportunity of research and development had been given to it. This
monument situated just a stroll away on the Parliament Street, still remains
one of the most intriguing structures of the capital, one that burst in
a flood of questions inside the curious mind of the tourist. Timing :
Daily 9.00am - 7.00pm.
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