Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar is an observatory with large stone structures in the Connaught Place neighborhood of New Delhi. The site contains thirteen instruments arranged like geometric sculptures in the open air, each serving different astronomical functions.

Maharaja Jai Singh II built the observatory in 1724 after finding that earlier brass instruments were too imprecise. He constructed five such sites across northern India, of which this is one of the smaller ones.

The names of the instruments come from Sanskrit and describe their function, such as "Samrat" for supreme ruler in the great sundial. Visitors today still see the original markings and scales that astronomers used to read the movement of celestial bodies.

The complex lies near the Connaught Place transport hub and is easily reached on foot from the surrounding streets. The instruments stand in the open air, so a visit in the morning or late afternoon is advisable due to the heat.

The red sandstone of the structures changes color depending on the time of day and light, from bright orange in the morning to deep red in the evening. The shadows of the instruments move with the sun and thus show the time on the stone dials.