Description of the attraction
The Jantar Mantar Observatory is a whole complex of unique astronomical structures created by order of Maharaja Jai Singh II in Jaipur, the newly created capital of Rajasthan. Literally the name of the observatory can be translated as "a computation tool". In total, five such observatories were built in different cities of India, but it is the Jaipur Jantar Mantar that is the largest of all, moreover, it is the best preserved.
Initially, this building was perceived as a sacred place, since astronomy at that time was exclusively occupied by the caste of priests.
The complex consists of 14 gigantic-sized buildings-devices, which were used to determine the time, predict eclipses and weather, determine the distance to celestial objects, etc. Then it was believed that such large dimensions give these devices greater accuracy. So in Jaipur Jantar Mantar there is the largest sundial in the world, which measures 27 meters in diameter. At the same time, they are in working order and show the exact time.
Today the observatory attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world. In addition, local astronomers still use it for weather forecasting, although their predictions do not always come true. Also, this place is often visited by people who want to master Vedic astrology, since Jantar Mantar is one of the few "surviving" Vedic structures.
In 1948, the observatory received the status of a national monument. And already in 2010 Jantar-Mantar was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
