Signs of Zodiac - Jantar Mantar Observatory - Jaipur, India
Posted by: denben
N 26° 55.475 E 075° 49.456
43R E 581835 N 2978348
The name and a painting of each sign of zodiac can be seen on twelve instruments which constitute the Rasivalaya at the Jantar Mantar Observatory in Jaipur.
Waymark Code: WMTF37
Location: India
Date Posted: 11/14/2016
Views: 2
The Jantar Mantar is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh. It features the world's largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Rasivalayas Yantra, unique to the Jaipur Observatory includes 12 instruments designed to directly measure the latitude and longitude of a celestial object. Based on the design of the Samrat Yantra, each Rasivalaya instrument corresponds to a specific sign of the zodiac: at the moment a particular sign approaches the meridian, the gnomon points to the pole of the ecliptic and the plane of the quadrants is parallel to the plane of the ecliptic. Each instrument displays a painting on the gnomon depicting the corresponding sign. The paintings are approximately 12” x 15” and are mounted behind glass. Positioned on the inside of the arch that penetrates the gnomon, they can easily be missed.
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