The trip that easily could have not been - Part 4 of many

An explosion of historical delights

The next day started off in a curious fashion. An uncle who had almost severed contacts and had stopped talking with us called me in the morning. Or rather woke me up and the entire zostel dorm I was staying in. He asked for my mom’s number. After reluctantly sharing the number I was thinking if this is the start of some other misunderstanding (to put things mildly). The reason for us not staying in touch for the last three years is a story in itself. Without me getting into those details let me recount how I spent the rest of my day in Jaipur.

I had booked a cab with just one thought in mind – to visit the majestic Amer Fort. Gopi had suggested that irrespective of what I see in Jaipur I must not miss visiting this place. And I was extremely happy I took his word for it. The entire fort was built on a hillock and spread wider than my cone of vision even when I was a couple of Kms away. Needless to say that there was a short climb involved to get to the actual fort. The heat was the only turn-off in the whole exercise. I’ve always had this thought in mind when I think of forts and especially in places like Rajasthan where the mercury reaches unbearable levels during the summers. I’ve even thought maybe global warming was responsible for the temperatures recorded nowadays and maybe the olden days weren’t hot enough. Then I came across a study which said the earth’s average temperature has increased some 0.3⁰C over the last century and this was considered an alarming rate of increase. That is when I decided that the olden days must have far worse for people, what with no electricity and therefore no fans or air conditioners. But in Amer fort I came across several spots, several closed passageways, hallways and aisle and even rooms which were well ventilated. A pleasant breeze used to pass through making it significantly colder. There was a massive courtyard with a pedestal at the centre (where I presume the maharaja would have conducted his daily court). The pedestal was now converted into a rest area for tourists with multiple chairs and rope beds. Inspite of the structure being in the open, the temperature of this area was a definite 5 – 10 degrees lesser than the actual temperature of the day. I was fascinated. The architects of the old were artists indeed. They have engineered nature in a simple and effective fashion. This reminds me of a story which my friend who has roots in Rajasthan told me.

Rajasthan being one the hottest places on earth and has vast desert lands is extremely hot during summers. And Mango, the queen of fruits is sweetest and best in summers. But it generates a lot of heat. Now the people of Rajasthan have come up with an ingenious way to reduce the amount of bodily heat generated while still savoring the delicious fruit. Before consumption, the mangoes are soaked in water for a good 4 hours. The water acts as a coolant (when it can cool nuclear reactors down, can it not cool a mango?), removing its heat. Simple and effective. Now mind you, this water is also precious in a place as parched as Rajasthan is. And hence this water is not thrown away but rather reused in some form or the other. Fascinating it was to hear this!

As I moved away from Amer fort, the cabbie who I had taken for the day suggested I visit the Jaipur Palace and Jantar Mantar, which were adjacent to each other. My second stop was the City Palace. Here I need to recount one interesting story I read only about the ruling family in Jaipur. The Maharaja Jai Singh, who was invited to court by the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb was surprised and flabbergasted by his knowledge and wit and praised him saying he was worth more than a man and infact he was equal to 1 ¼ of any other man. He used the Persian word “Sawai” which literally means 1 ¼. History also inform us of the Maharaja (who has lent his name to the city of Jaipur) was a “Sawai” in “Astra” as well as “Shastra”. While the title of Sawai was bestowed upon the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singhji, his successors decided to add it to their names as well. And we also have a city which is 1 ¼ of any other city – Sawai Madhopur, named after the Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh.

The Jantar Mantar which was very close to the Palace was my next stop. For all its historical value, it is actually a set of instruments used in astronomy to observe celestial bodies with the naked eye. These were constructed over a period of a decade or longer under the instructions of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. According to Wikipedia, this historical monument houses astronomical instruments operating in the three main celestial coordinates (the horizon-zenith, the equatorial and the ecliptical). These were built using the principles of astronomy borrowed from Hindu Sanskrit and Islamic texts.

Two instruments fascinated me the most. The Vrihat Samrat Yantra (the world’s largest gnomon* sundials) which is actually a gigantic clock that could predict the time at any given point in the day with an accuracy of 2 seconds. It consisted of a large dial which was first split into 24 parts each denoting 1 hour. Each hour was in turn divided into 4 parts and further into 15 sub parts and then into 10 fractions and finally into 3 sub fractions. Moreover this instrument was angled at 27⁰ to the ground level. Was that because of the angular tilt of the earth on its axis? I don’t know, but still it was interesting. The second instrument called the Rashi Valaya Yantra which caught my attention was actually a set of 12 sundials, each at a different angle and orientation and facing the sky. As I went about these sundials and read the plaques I understood that each one was to determine the coordinates of stars and planets the solar system. My jaw almost dropped at this. I had just one question in mind. Why are we reading about the Copernicuses and Galileos of the world and not about the Sawai Jai Singhs of India who were equally important pioneers in astronomy? What about Stonehenge? Was it a medieval Sundial? Where has this knowledge been lost? I’m well aware of the fact that today we have powerful telescopes which can do these measurements at spectacular accuracy. The inventor of telescopes is indeed among the greatest of scientists the world has seen. But why are we not taking these successes of Jantar Mantar and Stonehenge in the same breath? History has been a must in every school for a long time. But its utility is not properly understood by the teachers. What is the reason for studying it, some might ask? In my opinion, history is to be used as an inspirational tool. To tell today’s kids that our ancestors of the past have achieved so much with the limitations on available resources and knowledge gathered. And to open their minds to dream bigger and better.

With these thoughts running through my mind, I reached the end of my time at Jaipur. Au Revoir, Pink City. I will definitely be back.

*Gnomon – the triangular blade on the sundial which casts a shadow to measure the time of the day