Delhi Jantar Mantar
Location :Connaught Place, New Delhi, India.
Jantar Mantar was built in 1724 by Maharaja Sawai Madho Jai Singh II of Jaipur under the kingship of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. Jantar means 'instrument' while Mantar means 'calculation' that combine to give a literary meaning 'Formulae of Instruments’ It is an observatory for technological innovations of the time and is an integral part of India's scientific heritage. It has six astrological instruments, namely: Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash Yantra, Niyata Yantra, Ram Yantra, Misra Yantra and Agra Yantra presenting a futuristic look, in modern surroundings. Jantar Mantar is considered as very important in astronomical predictions and are highly used and recommended for studies by modern day scholars to determine position of astral bodies. Till date the instruments have always predicted accurately with a 10 % error margin. The Jantar Mantar is open daily from sunrise to sunset and there is no entry fee. Situated in the heart of Delhi, near Connaught Place, it is the most happening place in Delhi.
On entering into premises it looks like an exciting and curious collection of sculptures but in reality each construction has a specific purpose, for example measuring the positions of the stars, altitude and azimuth, and calculating eclipses. The observatory has fourteen statistical instruments for measuring time, predicting eclipses and to ascertain other astronomical events.