*** Star Sight

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

The Yantra Mandir (more commonly known as the Jantar Mantar) is a set of giant astronomical observatory instruments which were the most sophisticated of the era able to make incredibly accurate measurements and observations. The importance of the monuments ensured that have been listed on World Heritage List of UNESCO since and a unique tourist attract of Jaipur.

The centre piece of the assortment of instruments is the Samrat Yantra (The Giant Sundial) which stands at 27 meters tall and is the worlds tallest sun dial. The amazing effect of this is that at the shadow can be visible seen moving of up to 6 cm per minute.

The Jantar Mantar consists of a series of astronomical instruments, built on the orders of Maharaja Jai ​​Singh II when he moved his capital to Jaipur between 1727 and 1733. The importance of the monuments ensured that have been listed on World Heritage List of UNESCO since and a unique tourist attract of Jaipur.

The observatory was built for the guru of Jai Sing II, Pandit Jaganath, in order to establish the birth charts and determine the best time for major events (wars, weddings, parties).

The site name is derived from yantra (instrument) and mandir (temple) or the temple of instruments. It was originally called Yantra Mantra, mantra meaning formula and the British who ruled India with their immense understanding of language changed Yantra into Jantar.

The Jantar Mantar is based on his previous instruments that he created at another observation station in Delhi which was the, the capital of the Mughal Empire. He also made three other building in Varanasi, Mathura and Ujjain, but the Jantar Mantar of Jaipur is the largest.