Jantar Mantar, a prominent architectural landmark in the Capital, would soon regain its age-old identity of an astronomical observatory from being merely a ‘protest venue’ in recent years.
Having suffered much damage due to vandalism in the name of protests, the structure is set to get a revamp with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) coming up with a blueprint of the same.
Apart from improving its condition, the ASI is also planning to make the astronomical observatory fully functional. The development also comes in wake of a Delhi High Court’s order for the monument’s preservation.
To start with, the ASI has begun constructing a ‘Visitor Orientation Centre’ inside Jantar Mantar. “We have demolished our office there and have started the construction of an interpretation centre at the same place. The centre will have audio-visual displays, narrative panels, models and drawings of different components or instruments of the monument. For those, this centre will act as a comfortable place to know everything about the observatory,” said Daljit Singh Superintending Archeologist of ASI’s Delhi circle.
Meanwhile, the ASI has also decided to prepare fresh documentation for the instruments there. “We are starting with the exact documentation for the curved graduation of astronomical scales within a day or two. This will be first done for the ‘Jayaprakash Yantra’ for measurement of time. Further, the stone that will be used for redevelopment will be chosen from a variety of samples. Finding the perfect stone is important as the new ones have to match with the already existing ones,” Singh said. The documentation, to be carried out under the guidance of renowned astronomer VN Sharma, will only be accepted after the committee gives the consent for it, he added.
“A meeting was held in January 21 this year in which it was decided to use lime, instead of marble, for the restoration of the instruments. Earlier we had decided on using marble, but later it was found that better readings can be achieved if the instruments are given lime finishing,” said Singh. The ASI has started preparing coordinate drawings for different instruments in the monument. “Scales of the ‘Mishra Yantra’ will most probably be made of marble. Moreover, picture documentation for implementation in order to restore the functionality of the scales and marking as per the original ones present on the instruments shall be complete in all respects within a month,” said a member of the committee for Janatar Mantar restoration.