Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar, an iconic scientific marvel, was created in 1734 with ideas from astronomy scholars of various reli-gions, including Jesuit pri-ests from Goa, says a sci-ence historian in India.
The site is “truly an innovation far ahead of its time” and intrinsically secular in nature, said Dhruv Raina Nove-mber 5 while delivering a lecture at the MOG Sundays, an initiative of the Museum of Goa, Pilerne.
The Jantar Mantar is a collection of 19 astronomical instruments built by Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur in the present day Rajasthan state.
“Many Jesuits who came to India from France were astronomers. They interacted with local traditions and ways of doing astronomy. Jai Singh II wrote to the Governor of Goa to tell him that he needed some astronomers and the governor sent some Jesuit priests,” Raina said.
Hence, Jai Singh II’s endea-vour facilitated interactions between Muslim, Brahmin and Christian astronomers, making it a secular space, he added.
The site that features the world’s largest stone sundial now holds UNESCO World Heritage status. The Rajput king built the Jantar Mantar in pursuit of accurate scientific knowledge and its production. The sun dial is colloquially known as the ‘Samrat Yantra’ or ‘King of Instruments,” Raina explained.