| Authors Affiliation: | 1 Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi, New Delhi - 110021, India
2 Delhi Technological University, New Delhi - 110042, India
3 Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi - 110007, India
4 RAD@HomeIndia, India |
| Abstract : | In the 18th century, King Sawai Jai Singh II made significant contributions through the creation of unique architectural expressions in the form of massive open-air observatories, commonly referred to as Jantar Mantar. "Jantar" is a colloquial deviation from "Yantra," meaning instrument, and "Mantar" is derived from "Mantrana," signifying "to calculate". The king constructed masonry astronomical instruments in the pre-telescopic era, on a grand scale at five locations in India: Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, and Mathura. In 2004, a revitalization effort led by Dr. Nandivada Rathnasree aimed to restore the observatory in Delhi for astronomical research in Positional Astronomy and its preservation, as the structures were continuously deteriorating.
The Jantar Mantar in Delhi comprises four major instruments: the Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash Yantra, Ram Yantra, and Misra Yantra. Among the existing structures, it is believed that the Misra Yantra was added by Madhu Singh, who inherited his father's passion for science. The Misra Yantra, meaning "mixed instrument," combines five instruments in total, with our research project focusing on the Niyat Chakra. Our collaboration with the Nehru Planetarium in Delhi allowed us to make observations on the Niyat Chakra to measure the Sun's declination and it is meant to duplicate the declination readings for the meridian arcs of four different places - Notkey in Japan, Serichew in Pic Islands, Zurich in Switzerland, and Greenwich in England.
In this astronomical research, the measurement of the Sun's declination within the Niyat Chakra has revealed valuable insights into the instrument's capabilities, which had not been previously studied. Our study demonstrated the importance of collecting data with greater accuracy. Along with this, the observatory showcases India's rich astronomical heritage and must be preserved for generations to come and a splendid example of fostering a scientific temperament and a profound understanding of positional astronomy.
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