Jantar Mantar

1 – Introduction
In Indian language “Jantar” means “instrument” and “Mantar” means “calculation”, and thus
“Jantar Mantar” means “instrument for calculation”. It is built on ptolemaic positional
astronomy and after its launching by “Jai Singh” it is grossly renovated by Major Arthur
Garrett. At 18th century, when this observatory was found it was counted as a meeting point for
diverse scientific culture and gave a special insight for cosmology. Jantar Mantar was
considered as an emblem of royal authority because of its urban measurements, specific
control of time, astrological and logical forecasting capabilities. The requirement of this
monument was three in one at one go like religious, scientific, and political in its broader
aspect.

2 – History
The Jantar Mantar Observatory was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, as a focal point of his
new capital, Jaipur, the first and earliest geometrically planned city in India.

Fig. 1 Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II

Jai Singh was influenced primarily by the Islamic school of astronomy. He studied the work of
the great astronomers. Early Greek and Persian observatories contained elements that Jai
Singh incorporated into his designs, but the instruments of the Raja Jai Singh’s observatories,
are more complex, or at a much greater scale than any that had come before, and in certain
instances, are completely unique in design and function

Fig. 2 Old image of Jantar Mantar

The first observatory was built in Delhi. Some people argued that the observatory was built in
1710, but Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, author of Athar-us-Sanadid correctly calculated the date as
1724. Raja Jai Singh had his estate near Delhi, which was known as JaiSinghpura. This estate
today comprises of area from foot-hill of Raisina to Janpath and parts of Connaught Place . His
haveli was used by 8th Sikh Guru and is today known as Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.After this
first observatory in Delhi, he built similar observatories in Jaipur, Banaras, Ujjain and Mathura.
The Ujjain observatory was painfully demolished by land mafia. Out of other 4, only the largest
sundial, the Jaipur observatory is operational because rest 3 are surrounded by high rise
buildings or trees, thus obstructing sunlight. All these observatories are accurate to half of a
second, which is better than European instruments available at that time.
3 - Architecture Of Jantar Mantar
The Yantra Mantra also known as Jantar Mantar constitute of 13 astronomy instruments built in
the architectural form of huge structures which were in fact given as a task to the Maharaja by
Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah in order to revive the astronomical tables and annual
calendar and at the same time ensure a medium to record and compile all the astronomical
data and future predictions of time coupled with studying the movements of the Sun, Moon
and other Planetary bodies.

Fig. 3 The Jantar Mantar – 5 sprawling astronomical observatories

4 - Construction Of Jantar Mantar
The Yantra Mantra or Jantar Mantar was built like a massive equinoctial dial seen with a
gigantic triangular shaped gnomon and the hypotenuse lying parallel to the axis of the Earth
and on either side, a quadrant of a circle lies parallel to the plane of the Earth's equator. This
instrument is used to calculate and measure the time during the day along with the decline of
the Sun and the planetary bodies.

Maharaja Jai Singh Sawai II of Jaipur who constructed this Yantra Mantra (Jantar Mantar) in
Delhi is also accredited for constructing similar four other astronomical observatories in Jaipur,
Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi between 1724 and 1735.

A Jantar Mantar complex constitutes of multiple ‘Yantras’ (instruments). Each instrument

serves its own unique task. Instruments from the Delhi Jantar Mantar are:

 Samrat Yantra
 Ram Yantra
 Jai Prakash Yantra
 Mishra Yantra

4.1 – Mishra Yantra

The Mishra Yantra Instrument is used to depict the time of noon of various cities across the
world and is the only one which was not constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh Sawai II.

Fig. 4 Mishra Yantra

Mishra Yantra consists of several instruments within the single structure. The instruments
included in the structure are as follows:

(a) - Daksinottra Bhitti : for measuring the zenith distance or altitude of sun and other planets.

(b) - Karkarasi Valaya: Instrument is now in ruins. Application is not known and according to the
theory it was used to measure directly the longitude of celestial body.

(c) - Samarat Yantra : for measuring the local time.

(d) - Niyata Cakras: for measuring the declination of an object at interval of a few hours as the
object travels from east to west in the sky.

(e) - Quadrant : arc of unknown function.

4.2 - Samarat Yantra

The primary object of Samarat is to indicate the solar time or local time of a place. By knowing
the time of the meridian transit of prominent star and observing the hour angle of the star or
its angular distance from meridian time at night may also calculated from this instrument. In
addition to marking local time the Samarat Yantra was used to determine the sun declination
and the right ascension of any celestial object.

Fig. 5 Samarat Yantra

4.3 - Jai Prakesh Yantra
Twin hemispherical bowls of Jai Prakas yantra are each a reflection of the sky above. The bowls
are marked in sectors and gaps. Observers move inside the gap regions and make observations
using the markings on the sectors.

The instruments are complimentary, in the sense that where there is a gap in one of the bowl,
is a sector placed in the other bowl and vice versa. Spliced together, they make a whole bowl
that is a complete reflection of the sky above. Cross wires are stretched in the North-South and
East-West direction on the surface of the instrument bowls.

Shadow of the centre of this cross wire, on the surface of the bowl, shows the position of the
Sun in the sky. The instrument can measure the local co-ordinates of a celestial object - the
Altitude and Azimuth.

Fig. 6 Jai Prakash Yantra

4.4 - Rama Yantra
These are twin structures, circular in shape with pillar in centre. The walls and floor of which are
graduated for reading horizontal (azimuth) and vertical (altitude) angles.

Fig. 7 Ram Yantra

The Rama Yantra consists of a pair of cylindrical structures, open to the sky, each with a pillar or
pole at the center. The pillar/post and walls are of equal height, which is also equal to the
radius of the structure. The floor and interior surface of the walls are inscribed with scales
indicating angles of altitude and azimuth. Rama Yantras were constructed at the Jaipur and
Delhi observatories only.