Jantar Mantar (Man Mahal) of Varanasi

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Founder King of the Jaipur city, established five Yantra Mantra (the instrument and formula) or Jantar Mantar in five cities of West Central India between 1727 and 1734 at Jaipur, Delhi, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. Most famous being the ones at Jaipur and Delhi; very few people know about the other three and fewer have even visited them.

Graffiti at Rajendra Prasad Ghat

I came to know about Varanasi’s own Jantar Mantar few years ago, when wandering at Ghat we noticed a building near the vegetable market at Rajendra Prasad Ghat. This Ghat is next to the famous Dashaswamedh Ghat of the city. The building is locally known as Man Mahal or Man Mandir (25.307699, 83.010807), and the adjacent ghat as man Mandir Ghat.. As per ASI, it was erected by the Maharaja Man Singh of Amber in around 1600 AD. Later Maharaja Savai Jai Sigh II (1699-1743 AD) constructed the observatory on the terrace of the palace. This observatory is not as big as those at Delhi or Jaipur, but has got some six astronomical instruments.

Dashaswamedh Ghat

Dashaswamedh Ghat is the one the most revered Ghats of Varanasi, and is situated near the Godowlia and the old Vishwanath Temple; and is easily accessible from the Varanasi Railway station or Airport. Archaeological Survey of India maintains the Mahal. The panoramic view of Ghats of Banaras from the top terrace of the Mahal is an additional benefit to visit the place.

Following is the photo-post on the Man Mahal or Jantar Mantar of Varanasi:

Samrat Yantra

Samrat Yantra – Instrument to find Time, Declination and Hour angle of the heavenly bodies

Laghu Samrat Yantra – Another Instrument to find Time, Declination and Hour angle of the heavenly bodies

Dakshinobiti Yantra

Dakshinobiti Yantra – To know the Altitude of the heavenly bodies when on the meridian

Chakra Yantra

Chakra Yantra - For measuring Declination of Sun, Moon and Stars and their distance in Time (Hour angle) for the meridian

Digansa Yantra

Digansa Yantra- Azimuth of heavenly bodies

Narivalaya Dakshin and Uttar Gola

Narivalaya Dakshin and Uttar Gola - To know whether heavenly bodies are in Northern or Southern hemisphere, and to know the time.

A Panoramic View of Ghats on Ganga at Banaras/Varanasi

While studying more about the Jantar Mantar, I came across a beautiful site maintained by Barry Perlus, Professor of Art at Cornell University. This site provides a mesmerizing virtual tour of Jantar Mantar. To visit click here.

Banned Indian Books

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth... Few days back when I came to know about a book on an Indian Business Barron on the Banned Indian Books’ List, the first thing that came in my mind were the lines from Tagore . What an irony, we live in a country, whose forefathers have dreamt about a nation without fear, about a nation with right to speech, right to knowledge; and where the Government enjoys the “privilege” to “freely” ban the books, censor what it feels offensive! Wikipedia describes Banned books as the books whose free access is not permitted. Further it says that the practice of banning books is just another form of censorship, and often has political, religious or moral motivations. In our country, banning books have got its history since the British rule days. In fact, few of the Books ...

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Known as the Knowledge city of Assam – Jorhat is a small town in the NorthEast India with a unique distinction of sheltering India’s only population of Apes – the Gibbons . Hoolangapar Gibbon Sanctuary spreads across an area of about 21 km sq and is named after Hoolock Gibbons . Not just the Gibbons, it also houses 7 species of monkeys out of total 15 species that are found in India, varied species of birds, spiders and squirrels. A morning walk inside the Hoolangapar Gibbon Sanctuary Gibbons are the Apes and are differentiated on smaller size, lower sexual dimorphism, no nesting habits from the Greater Apes. Hoolock gibbons are the second largest of the gibbons and spread from NE India to Myanmar, with smaller populations in Bangladesh and China. Hoolangapar Sanctuary provides an unparalleled opportunity to meet these gibbons in their natural habitat. Also, the sanctuary has India’s only population of nocturnal primates – the Slow Loris . With distinctive large eyes, every...

Home Quarantined Day - the Last 1

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