Jantar Mantar

This astronomical observatory, like its counterpart in New Delhi, was built by Jai Singh II in the 18th century. It is the largest and the best preserved of the five he built across the country. It contains 14 structures or astronomical instruments, each with a specific function: either to measure time, track solar and lunar eclipses and the movement of stars and planets. Its name is derived from jantar (meaning instrument) and mantar (meaning formula in context to calculation). You can marvel over the striking architecture, but we also recommend taking a tourist guide to understand how the instruments are used.