Benares Observatory. Historical artwork of colonial soldiers, merchants and locals at the astronomical site at Benares (now known as Varanasi) in Indi

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Benares Observatory. Historical artwork of colonial soldiers, merchants and locals at the astronomical site at Benares (now known as Varanasi) in India. This is one of five similar astronomical sites (all called Jantar Mantar) that were constructed in India between 1724 and 1734 for Maharaja Jai Singh II. The site consists of stone astronomical instruments (yantras), constructed to allow observation of celestial objects such as planets and to predict their movements, and to measure local time. A report on this astronomical site, titled 'An account of the Bramins Observatory at Benares' was read to the Royal Society by Sir Robert Barker in 1777.

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Size: 5832px × 3059px
Photo credit: © ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1700s, 1720s, 1730s, 18th, artwork, asia, astronomical, astronomy, benares, black--white, brahmin, brahmins, bramin, bramins, century, equipment, historical, history, human, ii, illustration, india, indian, instruments, jai, jantar, maharaja, mantar, monochrome, observation, observations, observatory, people, person, singh, stone, tools, varanasi, yantra, yantras