AudioScript-Jaiprakas

The Jai Prakas are twin bowl instruments prominently located towards the central regions of the observatory compound.

These twin hemispherical bowls, are each a reflection of the sky above, and are marked in sectors and gap regions.

How does the instrument work?

Cross wires are stretched in the North-South and East-West direction on the surface of the instrument bowls. Shadow of the centre of this cross wire, on the surface of the bowl, shows the position of the Sun in the sky.

The sectors on the surface of the hemisphere are marked with altitude and azimuth circles, diurnal circles, the tropics and intermediate circles and also circles of the signs of Zodiac.

Jai Prakas are twin hemispherical bowl instruments, each a reflection of the sky above, and marked in sectors and gap regions.

How does the instrument work? At the surface level on the depressed bowl - There are pegs in the North-South and East-West direction to hold cross wires. Reflection of a cross wire stretched North-South and East-West over the surface of the bowl, shows the position of the Sun in the sky. The sectors on the surface of the hemisphere are marked with altitude and azimuth circles, diurnal circles, the tropics and intermediate circles and also circles of the signs of Zodiac.

The center of the bowl is a reflection of the Zenith. Starting from the center, lines are marked along the bowl to indicate the Azimuth. Altitude circles are marked along the length of the bowl.

The Jai Prakas are twin bowl instruments prominently located at the centre of the observatory compound.

On a raised platform in the middle of the observatory complex are placed three groups of instruments. The hemispherical bowls of the Kapala are to the West, while the Jaiprakas bowls are placed towards the East, with the vertically pivoted Chakra Yantra instruments placed exactly in between the Kapala and the Jai Prakas.

Jai Prakas are twin hemispherical bowl instruments, each a reflection of the sky above and marked in sectors and gap regions. The center of the bowl is a reflection of the Zenith. Starting from the center, lines are marked along the bowl to indicate the Azimuth. Altitude circles are marked along the length of the bowl. Reflection of a cross wire stretched North-South and East-West over the surface of the bowl, shows the position of the Sun in the sky.

The bowls are complementary, in the sense that, the gap region in one bowl is the sector region in the other and vice versa. The idea being that, the observer needs to be inside the bowl, to take readings - which means that readings would not be possible in the regions where the observer would be able to walk - and hence the complimentary bowl.

How does the instrument work? At the surface level on the depressed bowl - There are pegs in the North-South and East-West direction to hold cross wires. One has to view the shadow of the junction of the cross wires on the bowl of the instrument to determine the co-ordinates of the Sun in the daytime sky. The sectors on the surface of the hemisphere are marked with altitude and azimuth circles, diurnal circles, the tropics and intermediate circles and also circles of the signs of Zodiac.