Jantar Mantar Observatory Jaipur
On request from the Ministry of Art, Literature and Culture, Government of Rajasthan, I have been working along with the staff of the Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi and some dedicated members of the Amateur Astronomers Association, Delhi, towards awareness activities and preparation of signage information for the instruments of the Jaipur Jantar Mantar Observatory.
A labelled Google Earth/Wikimapia view of the Jaipur Jantar Mantar Observatory
(a detailed Google Earth tour of the Observatory will be uploaded soon)
The work is under progress. However, the initial inputs towards preparing signage material to be placed near all the instruments of the observatory has been completed.
The individual signage material for each of the instrument, as prepared by the Nehru Planetarium Team :-
| 1. Brihat Samrat Yantra |
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| 2. Sasthamsa |
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| 3. Measuring Declinations with the Samrat Yantra | |
| 4. Laghu Samrat Yantra | |
| 5. Dhruvadarshaka Pattika |
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| 6. Nadivalaya |
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| 7. Krantivrtta | |
| 8. Yantra Raja | |
| 9. Unnatamsa |
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| 10. Dakshinottara Bhitti |
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| 11. Horizontal Circular Dial | |
| 12. Rasivalaya | |
| 13. Jaiprakas | |
| 14. Chakra Yantra | |
| 15. Kapala | |
| 16. Digamsa | |
| 17. Ram Yantra | |
| 18. Ram Yantra models | |
| 19. Metal models of the Samrat Yantra | |
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20. Incomplete Krantivrtta |
Acknowledgements
Anurag Garg, Dayal Singh and Balachander of the Planetarium, for the awareness activities and calibration work that they have done with the observatory instruments. Sneh Kesari, Vidushi Bhatia and Siddiqui ji of the Amateur Astronomers Association for participation in the awareness activities. Rajesh harsh of the Planetarium for help in preparing the Corel versions of the signage material.
Sincere acknowledgements to Shri. Ahmad, Principal Secretary, Art Literature and Culture, Government of Rajasthan for facilitating our visits to the Observatory and facilitating the creation of a very encouraging atmosphere for our team to work on the instrument calibration. Acknowledgements to Shri. Gupta, Director Archeology and Monuments, Government of Rajasthan for facilitating our work at the Observatory. Acknowledgements to all the staff of the Jantar Mantar Observatory at Jaipur, in particular, to Shri. O.P. Sharma for sharing his long standing knowledge and love of the observatory with us, to Sandeep for helping us with all aspects of our visit and spending so much of his off duty time at the Observatory on our account.
Acknowledgements to Anurag Garg and Sneh Kesari for taking all the relevant photographs of the instruments and to Anurag's cousin Deepak Garg for lending his digital camera.
References
1. The actual instruments of the observatory, the study of whose geometry and construction were essential to understand the working of each and every aspect of the instruments.
2. Sawai Jai Singh and his Astronomy, V.N. Sharma, Motilal Banarsidas publishers, 1995.
3. The Jaipur Observatory and its builder, A. ff. Garrett, Pioneer Press, Allahabad, 1902.
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