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There is a fascinating history regarding the construction of this
observatory. Sawai Jai Singh II sent his men to various parts of the
world. The men came back with manuals, astronomical tables and data on the
advances made in the field of astronomy. La Hire's "Tables" was one of
these manuals. Sawai Jai Singh II ordered the observatory to be
constructed according to the data available in this manual. Amazingly,
after Jantar Mantar was built, it was discovered that the observatory was
more accurate than the Table itself.
Sawai Jai Singh had the choice either to construct the observatory with
metal instruments or masonry instruments. The metal instruments,
constructed according to the text of the Islamic school of astronomy, did
not measure up to Jai Singh's expectations. So, he discarded them in favor
of the instruments of stone and masonry that he himself designed. In this
Observatory one can view the wonderful masonry instruments. The
observatory has the Jaiprakash Yantra, Samrat Yantra, Ram Yantra and the
Composite instrument, which comprises of a sundial and a massive
hemisphere. Jantar Mantar was built not only to verify astronomical
observations made at Jaipur, but also to stimulate interest in astronomy,
which had become enmeshed in theory, superstition and religious jargon.
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