Jantar Mantar - Varanasi

Jantar Mantar - Varanasi

antar Mantar in Varanasi

Jantar Mantar in Varanasi is one of the most renowned and beautifully sculpted observatories of India. The passion and drive for astronomy and technology and science is what prompted the then Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh to construct this wondrous piece of architecture in 1737 AD. Jantar Mantar present in Varanasi is said to be a replica and inspired by Jantar Mantar present in New Delhi, Ujjain, Mathura and Jaipur.

Located on the Ghats of the River Ganges, this observatory is a popular tourist attraction of Varanasi. The Jantar Mantar in Varanasi has distinctive equatorial sundial compared to its contemporaries in other cities. Jantar Mantar in Varanasi helps to near accurately record the declination of the sun, planets and stars, the altitude, the eclipses throughout the year. Even today its calculations are almost in alignment with the modern technological instruments and can help predict the motion and speed properties of the various planets and stars, etc. There are many instruments or Yantras, as they are called colloquially, of significant importance present in Jantar Mantar in Varanasi like Samrat Yantra, Dhruva Yantra, Prakash Yantra, Digansha Yantra, Disha Yantra, Krantivritta Yantra, Ram Yantra, etc.

A visit to the Jantar Mantar of Varanasi will showcase a sense of imperial architecture and the presence of technology being used since the 17th century. It is a perfect example of technological advancement right from the times of kings and queens!