Photograph of the Observatory, Varanasi from the Kitchener of Khartoum Collection: 'Views of Benares. Presented by the Maharaja of Benares' by Babu Jageswar prasad in 1883. The Observatory dominating the Man Mandir Ghat, was built by Raja Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur (r.1699 to 1743) in the 18th century. The observatory at Varanasi was one of five built by the Raja, the others being at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain and Mathura. Sawai Jai Singh aimed to improve the Indian calendar and wanted to precisely locate the sun for the purpose of map making. The instruments were large masonry structures equipped with protractors and marked grids to aid in the precise measurement of the location of celestial objects.
