India GOJantar Mantar, Delhi
Jantar Mantar is open every day from sunrise to sunset, and the ticket is ₹25 for Indian citizens and ₹300 for foreign citizens, according to Delhi Tourism. On a lawn a few minutes from Connaught Place stand thirteen masonry instruments, built in 1724 by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur to measure time and track the stars without a single lens. An hour is enough to see it all.
Thirteen masonry instruments, painted a deep terracotta red, stand on a lawn a few minutes from Connaught Place: ramps, arcs and dials the size of buildings, built in 1724 by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur to measure time and track the stars without a single lens. The giant Samrat Yantra sundial still throws a moving shadow across its curved scale. An hour is enough to walk it all, and the shapes read as sculpture long before they read as science. Open sunrise to sunset, small ASI ticket with a higher foreigner tier.
Astronomy in stone: sundials you can walk into, minutes from the city's busiest circle
Timings and entry fee
- Hours: sunrise to sunset, every day; Delhi Tourism lists no closing day.
- Indian citizens: ₹25.
- Foreign citizens: ₹300.
- Photography: still photography is free; filming video costs ₹25.
It is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) ticketed monument; tickets are sold at the site. The site is on Sansad Marg (Parliament Street).
What the instruments do
Jai Singh built his instruments in masonry at the scale of buildings, for naked-eye observation. Thirteen of them stand here, painted a deep terracotta red; the shapes read as sculpture long before they read as science.
- Samrat Yantra. The giant triangle is an equal-hour sundial. Its shadow still moves across the curved scale, and you can watch it creep in a few minutes.
- Jaya Prakash Yantra. Two sunken hemispheres that give the position of a celestial body in more than one coordinate system.
- Jayaprakash Yantra. Two hollowed hemispheres used to read the position of a celestial body in several coordinate systems.
- Rama Yantra. Two open cylindrical structures for measuring the altitude of stars.
- Misra Yantra. A composite instrument that marks the shortest and longest days and shows when it is noon in other cities.
Delhi Tourism notes that accurate observations can no longer be made here because of the tall buildings around, so the instruments are a monument rather than a working observatory.
One of five observatories
Jantar Mantar was built in 1724. Jai Singh II raised similar observatories in Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura; Delhi's was the first of the five. The name is usually explained as yantra mantra, roughly instrument and formula.
👣 How to get there
- Metro: Delhi Tourism names Patel Chowk (Yellow Line) as the nearest station; its metro itinerary also lists Jantar Mantar among the sights from Rajiv Chowk.
- On foot from Connaught Place: the observatory is a few minutes' walk from the outer circle.
- Combine: Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Connaught Place are close by, so the visit fits into a half-day in central Delhi.
❓ FAQ
What is the entry fee for Jantar Mantar?
₹25 for Indian citizens and ₹300 for foreign citizens. Still photography is free; video costs ₹25.
What are Jantar Mantar's timings?
Sunrise to sunset, every day.
Who built Delhi's Jantar Mantar?
Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, in 1724.
What is Jantar Mantar Delhi famous for?
Its giant masonry astronomical instruments, above all the Samrat Yantra sundial, built to measure time and track the stars without lenses.
Which metro station is nearest to Jantar Mantar?
Patel Chowk on the Yellow Line, according to Delhi Tourism; Rajiv Chowk is also close.
Is it worth visiting Jantar Mantar?
Yes, for an hour: it is cheap, central and unlike anything else in Delhi.