Jantar Mantar, a place for monitoring Heavens

At least in the field of ancient Indian Astronomy, we are left with certain classical Astronomical texts. Thanks, to the efforts of ancient Indian Astronomers.

Aryabhattiyam, śiddhanta-śiromaṇi,Bṛihat-samhitā, Surya-siddhantā, Brahmaspuṭa-siddhantā, śiśyādhivridhida, etc are the texts that stand today as credentials of advanced Astronomical findings and at many instances they excel the present day knowledge.

To perceive astronomical facts, one requires certain special instruments. What were the instruments that were used by ancient Indian Astronomers? If they had used instruments, what happened to them today? Do they exist today? If they had disappeared with elapse of time, do we, at least have suitable references about their usage?

Most of the Indian Astronomical Instruments might have been destroyed during various foreign invasions on India. Today, we get the glimpses of their usage from the ancient astronomical texts. For example, Aryabhatta, the renowned Astronomer lived near Kusumpura during Fifth centaury AD. He was monitoring heavens from an observatory called "khagola" kha means space, gola means spherical instrument. Some believe that Indian astronomy hot it's name khagola-sastra from the observatory of Aryabhatta.

Lalla, a famous Astronomer wrote a text "śiśyādhivridhida". In that text he explains twelve kinda of astronomical instruments called yantras. They are 1) Gola yantra, 2) Bhagan yantra, 3) Chakra yantra 4) Dhanus yantra 5) Gati yantra 6) Sankhu yantra 7) Shataka yantra 8) Khathari yantra 9) Pita yantra 10) Kapala yantra 11) Shalaka yantra 12) Yasthi yantra.

Bhaskaracharya's text çiddhanta-çiromaëi describes about Nadivalaya yantra and other yantras, which were used to calculate planetary motions and determine time.

In recent times, the person who had revived the lost knowledge about our Indian Astronomy and reconstructed the Astronomical yantras or instruments was none other than Raja of Jaipur, Sawai Jaising-II.

Raja Jaisingh was a vassal king of Moghul Empire. During 1724-1727. he established Astronomical observatories called "Jantar-Mantar" and hoisted the Flag of Indian talent. He founded them in five cities namely Delhi, Jaipur,Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi. Among them except Mathura all the remaining four observatories exist today.

Jantar-Mantar, Delhi.

These Observatories exhibit not only astronomical excellence but also architectural splendor and Engineering Ingenuity. The Sundial of Jaipur is the biggest existing Sundial of the world today. It observes various movements of Sun and the angles of other celestial objects.

"Sasthamsa yantra" can easily calculate the diameter of sun ."Jayaprakash yantra" can study the night-sky and stars. "Kapala yantra" a bowl shaped instrument had been used to determine the latitude and longitude and thus enabled astronomers to depict the picture of celestial space. "Ramayantra" had been constructed in cylindrical shape to record the movements of Astronomical Objects.

A few modern historians are of the view, that Jaisingh was influenced by Arabic and Persian Astronomy. But the instruments that were built by Jaisingh in his observatories had been mentioned in ancient Indian astronomical texts. Alburni, the Arab historian says, Indian Astronomy, Chemistry, Mathematics and Medicine influenced Arabia and Persia in many ways.