Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

Out of the numerous tourist destinations in Jaipur, Jantar Mantar is an important one. It is a heritage site and the largest science observatory in the world. Do you know that this complex has the largest stone sundial in the world? Ancient king of India built numerous huge scientific tools to calculate the distance of the earth from different plants, stars and satellites. Jantar Mantar is an observatory filled with numerous such instruments that were built and used in 18th century.

• Where Jantar Mantar is Located ?

  Jantar Mantar is located in the heart of the Jaipur near Hawa Mahal and City Palace. You can find taxis, autos and buses to these destinations from any part of Jaipur. The observatory is located near the gate of the illustrious City Palace of Jaipur in Rajasthan. There are numerous buses that are run to and from Jaipur..

• Best Time to Visit in Jantar Mantar ?

  The observatory will be at prime beauty throughout the year. If you are planning to watch the instruments in action, you ought to visit when sun is out. Mid-day is the best time to visit the place. Thus, rainy season is the worst season to visit the observatory. Winter makes sightseeing easier with mild climate.

  The observatory is open from 9 am until 5 pm. The place is open from Monday to Friday. The place will be closed for an hour before starting the light and sound show. You can stroll around the market place or visit any nearby monuments during this time.

• Entry Fees

  • Indian adults and children : INR 50 per head
  • Foreign adults and children : INR 200 per head
  • Personal Guide : INR 200
  • Audio guide : INR 150
  • Camera charge : INR 50

• Jantar mantar is famous for ?

  The observatory is basically a large complex filled with numerous instruments. Top instruments to spot are

  • Samrat Yantra : This is the world’s largest sundial that is still in use. This instrument can still measure time to the accuracy of 0.5 second.
  • Chakra Yantra : Position of the sun at four different time during a day.
  • Dakshin Bhitti : position, meridian and altitude of many celestial bodies.
  • Dhruva Darshak Pattika : location of pole star
  • Laghu Samrat Yantra : smaller sundial
  • Jaya Prakash Yantra : this instrument is used to find the position and distance of the star from the earth. This is used for finding the auspicious time of the day.
  • Misra Yantra : This instrument was used for spotting the right noontime at different spots in the world. This instrument can also determine the longest and shortest day in a year.
  • Rashuvalaya Yantra : This instrument is used for determining the time and duration of eclipse and the zodiac circle.

  The other important instruments are Ram Yantra, Nadi Valaya Yantra, Palbha Yantra and others. A light and sound show is conducted every evening. The show focuses on planetary bodies and space. The cost of the show is included in the ticket.

• Guide

  Guides are available near the ticket counter. The cost of hiring a guide changes from season to season. Audio guides are available in a few languages

• History about the Jantar Mantar

  Jai Singh II, the king who designed Jaipur was very interested in science and astronomy. He was in need of fail-proof methods to calculate the position and distance of various heavenly bodies. Thus, he travelled far, researched for long and created many large instruments for his use. There are five such observatories built by him in India. With the tools in this observatory, he collected information that were used for finding auspicious time.

  When Mughal controlled Jaipur, Jai Singh provided the auspicious time for royal ceremonies, war and others to the Mughals. During the initial period, Jai Singh used brass instruments, which were not very accurate. He later choose masonry instruments. After the fall of Shah, the use of Jantar Mantar was reduced. When Jaipur was under the control of British, Jantar Mantar was forgotten. Now, tourism department has brought back it to life for tourists and students.