Jaipur : Jantar Mantar of Jaipur is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of about twenty main stationary devices. They are monumental examples of known devices in masonry, but in many cases have their own distinctive characteristics. Jantar Mantar is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a learned prince in the late Mughal period.
The Jantar Mantar Observatory in Jaipur is the most important and best-preserved group of fixed monumental instruments built in India in the first half of the 18th century; Some of them are the largest ever built in their categories. Designed for observation of astronomical conditions with the naked eye, they embody many architectural and instrumental innovations. The observatory is part of a tradition of Ptolemaic positional astronomy that was shared by many civilizations. It contributed to the completion of Geij’s astronomical tables by such observations. It is a later and final monumental culmination of this tradition.
Through the encouragement of its creator, Prince Jai Singh II, the observatory was a meeting place for different scientific cultures, and gave rise to broader social practices associated with cosmology. It also symbolized royal authority through its urban dimensions, its control of time, and its rational and astrological forecasting abilities. The observatory is the monumental embodiment of the coming together of needs that were at the same time political, scientific and religious.
Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is an excellent example of observation of the universe, society and beliefs coming together. It provides an excellent example of the ultimate culmination of the scientific and technological concepts of the great observatory formulated in the medieval world. It bears witness to very ancient cosmic, astronomical and scientific traditions shared by a major group of Western, Middle Eastern, Asian and African religions over a period of more than fifteen centuries. Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, in the heart of an imperial capital of the late Mughal period in India, is an excellent example of a very extensive set of astronomical instruments. Many of the instruments are impressive in their dimensions, and some are the largest instruments ever made in their category.
integrity and authenticity
The observatory of Jantar Mantar in Jaipur suffered due to its external location in the tropical zone, and was then temporarily abandoned in the 19th century, resulting in frequent maintenance interventions and then various restorations over a period of more than a century. Nevertheless, the general integrity of the site has essentially been maintained and partially restored. Establishing the authenticity of each individual device, on the other hand, is more complex, as it has undergone multiple interventions. While authenticity with respect to astronomical work is generally undisputed, it is more difficult to establish with respect to stucco, instrument graduations, certain architectural interpretations, and the immediate landscape environment of elements of the property.
Conservation and Management Measures
Jantar Mantar is protected under Sections 3 and 4 of the Rajasthan Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Antiquities Act, 1961. It was declared a monument of national importance in 1968. The main challenges to the property, which could potentially become a threat, are controlling the growth of tourism and allowing urban development in the immediate vicinity of Jantar Mantar. Major projects have been announced to upgrade the district and modify traffic, and these may impact the buffer zone, and more generally the landscape and cultural environment of the estate. It is particularly necessary to specify the measures taken to protect the buffer zone and include these measures in the upcoming master plan of Jaipur Municipality. The system is suitable for the management of property, provided that it actually involves an overarching management body and a management plan is promulgated. Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen the scientific expertise of the bodies in charge of managing the property.
