Jantar Mantar is the name of five astronomical
observatories, built in the early 18th
century by Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh
II in North India. Jai Singh, who was
passionately interested in astronomy,
had discovered that there were major
errors in the ancient astronomical tables
being used in India at that time. As
these were consulted not only by astrologers,
but also for fixing the dates for land
revenue collection, he decided to compile
a new, more accurate table based on
observations obtained from astronomical
instruments. He sent astronomical expeditions
to Persia, Central Asia and later even
to Portugal in order to increase his
knowledge. After rejecting the small
brass instruments and their enlarged
versions, he settled for huge stone
and masonry instruments. The ingenious
and elegant solutions found while designing
these new instruments represent an architectural
vision that anticipates 20th Century
modern architecture.
A
voice over, as well as Professor S.
R. Sharma, an authority on Indian scientific
instruments, recount the origin and
functioning of the instruments. Miniature
paintings, images of ancient texts and
diagrams in Arabic and Sanskrit, accompanied
by classical North Indian music are
inter-cut with images of astronomical
instruments.
Selected International
documentary film festival, Bombay,
2000.
