In 1728, Sawai Jai Singh II, rajah of Jaipur, dispatched his
emissaries across the globe to gather the most accurate astronomical
data possible.
When they returned, Jai Singh ordered the construction of the Jantar
Mantar complex in New Delhi, a monumental astronomical observatory
constructed entirely out of stone and based on the astronomical tables
of the French mathematician Phillipe de la Hire. In all Sawai Jai Singh
built a total of five observatories, with the largest in his hometown of
Jaipur.
Among the stone instruments Jai Singh constructed was the Samrat
Yantra, a 73-foot-tall sundial which remains the largest ever built.
Though indistinguishable in design from other sundials of the day, it
was far and away the most accurate. Its two-second interval markings are
more precise than even de la Hire's table. The smaller but older (and
pink) version of the Jantar Mantar can be seen in New Delhi, INDIA.
.JPG)
