Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar, the biggest astronomical observatory in India which entered Unesco’s World Heritage List in 2010, is showing signs of decay. Some of its 16 geometric devices, including the Samrat Yantra – world’s largest sundial that tells time of day to an accuracy of two seconds, have developed cracks for want of proper maintenance and defective chemical treatment.
Several zodiac signs on the Rashivalaya Yantra (Zodiac Circle or Ecliptic Instrument), an instrument found only at the Jaipur observatory, have also been damaged. Archaeologists in the state seem unsure if the damage can be repaired. But they fear that if no remedial measures are taken soon, the observatory may be included in the list of endangered monuments.
Subhash Arya, director, works, Amber Development and Management Authority, claimed that a proposal was being prepared for repair and restoration of the instruments. He conceded that the chemical treatment taken up in the past years had caused some damage to the texture of the walls and stones.
There are fears that widened cracks and damaged stone surfaces have disturbed the alignments of the instruments, affecting their accuracy.
src: dailymail.co.uk