It was thanks to the Emerits Airlines offices being next to Jantar Mantar/a> that I finally had a chance to visit this monument. I had imagined it to be something with aincient telescopes but it was nothing of the kind. There were a series of structures arranged around a compound. Each structure was a yantra or tool. You could physically get into them and had to climb a number of stairs The sky was overcaste so I was unable to make any observations.
There was a guide though but being a local, I thanked him for his offer of “help” and went my way.
The signs were in English and Hindi and I was able to read most of them using the KNFB Reader. I had my sighted cousin with me so he helpped me find the signs and read text that I had failed to capture. The tilt warning was useless since the signs were situated at an angle.
In terms of accessibility, as long as you had a way of determining where light fell, you should be able to read the markings on the instruments since they were carved. For instance, I felt the Hindi figure 8. In addition, the health benefits of running up and down stairs to make astronomical observations cannot be discounted. No pencil behind each ear scientist here.
Yes, Jantar Mantar is dusty and it could be much better maintained but that goes for most monuments around here. Still, things were quiet and my fellow tourists were cooperative.
Accessible Astronomy Moghal Style…
[…]Acesible astronomy, Moghal style. By Pranav Lal. It was thanks to the Emerits Airlines ofices being next to Jantar[…]…