Jantar Mantar New Delhi History and Interesting Facts

Jantar Mantar Quick Facts

Jantar Mantar Overview

The unique piece of architecture 'Jantar Mantar', situated in the heart of the country's capital, Connaught Place, is one of the major tourist destinations of Delhi. It is an observatory, in which 13 astronomical instruments are installed.

Raja Jai ​​Singh found the existing space instruments too small to take accurate measurements, so he built larger and more efficient instruments. This place built in Delhi has been a stronghold of the protesters, there are daily sit-ins and demonstrations. According to the famous French writer 'De Bois', King Jai Singh himself used to prepare wax models of these instruments with his own hands. This building is an example of the scientific advancement of ancient India.

Jantar Mantar History

This grand was built by Maharaja Jai ​​Singh II in the year 1724. Delhi's Jantar Mantar is inspired by the Samarkand observatory. During the reign of the Mughal emperor Mohammad Shah, popularly known as Rangeela, there was a debate among Hindu and Muslim astronomers about the position of the planets, to end which the Jantar Mantar was built by Maharaja Jai ​​Singh II. He had built such observatories in Delhi as well as in Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi.

Jantar Mantar Interesting Facts

1. It was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II for the study of time and space. Here is the world's largest stone sundial, which is called the Brihat Samrat Yantra. This solar clock gives local time.
2. Various types of instruments have been installed in Jantar Mantar to measure the motion of the planets. The Samrat Yantra installed here provides information about time and planetary positions with the help of the sun.
3. The Shortest and longest days of the year can be measured with the help of the Egyptian instrument.
4. Apart from this, the Ram Yantra and Jai Prakash Yantra installed here inform about the motion of celestial bodies.
5. The major astronomical instruments made by Raja Jai ​​Singh include Samrat Yantra, Sasthamsa, Xinottara Bheel Yantra, Jai Prakasa and Kapala, Nadivalaya, Digamsa Yantra, Ram Yantra and Rasivalaya etc.
6. On Science Day, the position of Earth's brightest planet Venus was measured by the leading astronomer through the Ramayantra installed at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Apart from astronomers from the Nehru Planetarium, members of the Amateur Astronomers Association and the NGO Space were also involved in the study.
7. The Jantar Mantar of Jaipur was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2010.
8. Social activist Anna Hazare had organized a big and historic protest in the year 2011 to bring Jan Lok Pal Bill at this place, which is called the stronghold of the protesters. This movement of Anna shook the then UPA government.
9. In the year 2013, a sit-in demonstration was also organized in support of the Narmada Bachao Andolan under the leadership of famous social worker Medha Patkar.
10. Apart from this, in the year 2017, the farmers of Tamil Nadu had demonstrated strongly here, in which the farmers had demanded a drought relief package of 40 thousand crore rupees from the central government.
11. The Supreme Court on 23 July 2018 lifted the ban on protest demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The Supreme Court has also ordered the Delhi Police to make new guidelines in 2 weeks, removing the ban from performing. It may be noted that in the year 2017, the NGT had banned the protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar, citing the problem of noise pollution and traffic jams.
12. The entry fee for Indian citizens at Jantar Mantar is Rs 5 and for foreigners the fee is Rs 100. Here you can do free photography, but for videography you will have to pay a fee of 25 rupees.