Fwd: Astrologers cry foul over renovation of world famous Jantar Mantar of Jaipur

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IndiaArchaeology , " ymalaiya " <ymalaiya wrote:

 

Astrologers cry foul over renovation of world famous Jantar Mantar of

Jaipur Posted: 2:59p.m IST, September 21, 2008

Jaipur, Sep.21 (ANI): Jaipur's world famous Jantar Mantar, which is a

collection of architectural astronomical instruments and literally means

calculation instrument, is attracting wide public attention here

following the ongoing renovation at the ancient astronomical

observatory. The renovation work has not gone down well with traditional

Indian astrologers.

 

Absence of knowledgeable and experienced astrologers in the supervisory

or advisory committee is being cited as one of the reasons, which has

led to the vintage historical gadgets and other aids getting disturbed

in the renovation process.

 

A group of noted astrologers here are objecting to the renovation being

carried out by the government agencies here. It is being contented that

it is not up to the mark and has already caused damage.

 

One of the main complaints is that the concerned authorities have

deployed inefficient persons for carrying out renovation. They say that

these employed personnel have no basic knowledge of such aids vis-?-vis

astronomy and astrology.

 

According to the astrologers, the workers engaged in renovation, in

their haste have dislocated most of the gadgets and allied aids,

thereby, giving rise to distortion of forecast in astrological

calculations.

 

Astrologers complain that novice workers have upset accuracy, which

prevailed for hundreds of years.

 

In 1901, Jantar Mantar was renovated. But that time a council of

astrologers was involved in the renovation. It was done under the

supervision of the group of astrologers. Now, they have fiddled with the

instruments on their own which they shouldn't have done as such this

dislocation of gadgets can have a negative effect on the future

calculations, said Pandit Akhilesh Sharma, an astrologer in Jaipur.

 

Jantar Mantar is an open-air observatory complex of astronomical gadgets

and was built by Maharaja Jai Singh, the second. He constructed a total

of five such labs at different locations, including the ones at Delhi

and Jaipur. The Jaipur observatory is the largest of these.

 

These gadgets play a key role, as the reflections of the Moon are

studied at night and the Sun by day based on which astrologers compute

their forecasts.

 

When Maharaja Jai Singh made this Jantar Mantar the main purpose was to

improve astrology in India. We monitor all planets through equipments of

Jantar Mantar. At night, we monitor through the positioning of the Moon

and at daytime, by the Sun. So they should not fiddle with the

instruments, said Satish Shastri, a visitor.

 

Meanwhile, the authorities say that the site was in a bad condition and

needed immediate renovation as the allied aids were becoming brittle

with the mortar peeling off and also the glass coverings of the gadgets

were damaged.

 

Superintendent Archaeologist of Jantar Mantar, however, did not comment

on the displacement of the instruments, which could cause distorted and

garbled calculations.

 

We started renovating in January 2007. The reason we renovated is

because these instruments were becoming brittle, breaking and they were

on the verge to collapse. The cemented plaster was coming off and

glasses were breaking. Therefore, we replaced and rectified the damages.

Besides we have broadened the pathway for the convenience of visitors

who throng the place. We've also installed drinking water facility,

which provides pure and cool drinking water for the visitors, said

Pandit O. P. Sharma, Superintendent Archaeologist of the Jantar Mantar

in Jaipur.

 

The Department of Archaeology, Government of Rajasthan has spent around

10 million rupees in renovating Jantar Mantar.

 

Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments

and it literally means calculation instrument.

 

The observatory consists of 14 major geometric devices for measuring

time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining

the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and

related ephemeredes.

 

Each is a fixed and 'focused' tool. The Samrat Jantar, the largest

instrument, is 90 feet (27 m) high, its shadow carefully plotted to tell

the time of day. Its face is angled at 27 degrees, the latitude of

Jaipur. The Hindu chhatri (small domed cupola) on top is used as a

platform for announcing eclipses and the arrival of monsoons.

 

Built of local stone and marble, each instrument carries an astronomical

scale, generally marked on the marble inner lining; bronze tablets, all

extraordinarily accurate, were also employed. Thoroughly restored in

1901, the Jantar Mantar was declared a national monument in 1948. By

Lokendra Singh(ANI)

 

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