Jaipur`s Jantar-Mantar now on UNESCO`s World Heritage site

Jaipur, Aug 1 (PTI) Jantar Mantar, the Pink city's
celebrated astronomical observatory built in early 18th
century, has been granted World Heritage status by UNESCO.
The decision was taken in UNESCO's World Heritage
Committee meeting in Brasilia.
"This is India's 28th and Rajasthan's second site (after
Keoladev National Park) which has been given this status and
it is a matter of proud for us and for nation as well," state
Tourism Minister Bina Kak told reporters in the north-western
Indin city.
The ancient observatory, built by the Maharaja Jai Singh
II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734,
was among the seven sites in the world which have been added
to UNESCO's World Heritage list this year.
"I received a phone call in the wee hours of today from
state Principle Secretary-Tourism, Usha Sharma, from Brasilia
that UNESCO has given 'Jantar-Mantar' the status of World
Heritage site," Kak said.
She said a three-member team of representative from the
state presented a management plan before the UNESCO committee
yesterday following which Jantar-Mantar was declared a World
Heritage site.
The committee discussed over 37 sites across the world in
the meeting at Brasilia.
"We were making efforts for the past one year to get it
the prestigious status, and submitted a management plan as
asked by the UNESCO committee," she added.
Kak said the status would boost tourism sector in the
state and in Jaipur, particularly.
"Hotel industry will get benefits following the status.
The state government would also consider over concessions
which
can be offered to the industry. We expect that tourists inflow
which is around 8 lakh would increase during the upcoming
tourists'season," she said.
The Maharaja had built a total of five such facilities at
different locations, including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur.
However, the Jaipur observatory is the largest of these.
Ujjain, Mathura and Varansi have also these 'Calculation
Instrument' of ancient India.
The observatory has religious significance and ancient
Indian astronomers used it to understand the celestial
phenomenon.
It consists of fourteen major geometric devices for
measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars' location
as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the
declinations of planets, and determining the celestial
altitudes and related ephemerids. PTI