In ages gone by, knowledge of the heavens and the stars was an important political tool.  Originally, this was a primarily religious pursuit, but as times changed it became a scientific pursuit which demonstrated the power of a leader by his mastery over science.  In Jaipur, India, lies the Jantar Mantar, one of the most extensive astronomical observatories in the world.  The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2010.

Jantar Mantar is one of the most well-preserved of India’s many historical observatories.  Construction was begun in 1727 and completed in 1734, though the site itself would have only a short-lived usefulness.  It wasn’t long before new inventions made many of the giant-sized instruments obsolete.

The constructions at Jantar Mantar are mostly masonry, though many have metal rings and plates which serve to perform functions such as measurement.  There are 20 main instruments at the site, used for such tasks as measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking the locations of the stars and examining the positions and movements of planets.  The largest of these tools is the Samrat Yantra, a 90 foot high construct that was used to tell the time of day.

Restoration on the site began in 1901 and India declared it a national monument in 1948.  While the instruments were once incredibly accurate, the nature of such heavy constructions has caused many of them to subside and, as a consequence, thrown off their ability to measure as they once did.

The usefulness of the site may have passed into history, but the grandeur of the instruments has certainly not faded.  Many Indian universities still bring astronomy students to the site to study these ancient ways.  Jantar Mantar is at risk, however, as the encroaching city threatens to undermine its preservation.