A Descriptive Catalogue of Indian Astronomical Instruments
Abridged Version
The large masonry instruments designed by Sawai Jai Singh and erected in his five observatories in the early eighteenth century represent a significant advancement in astronomical instrumentation. This exploration investigates the types of astronomical instruments used in India prior to Jai Singh’s era, as described in Sanskrit texts. Questions about their existence in museums prompted an extensive examination of nearly a hundred museums and private collections across India, Europe, and the USA over a quarter century. The resulting catalogue details each instrument alongside related extant specimens, emphasizing the interplay between Sanskrit and Islamic traditions of instrumentation. Organized alphabetically, each section begins with introductory essays on the instrument type and its varieties, followed by comprehensive technical descriptions and art historical notes for every specimen. Engraved data is reproduced and interpreted wherever possible. Spanning approximately 4300 pages, it includes 600 entries, introductory essays, and significant extracts from two key Sanskrit texts, Mahendra Sūri’s Yantrarāja and Padmanābha’s Dhruvabhramādhikāra, along with English translations. An abridged version, containing only the introductory essays and appendices, has been prepared for general readers, maintaining the same pagination as the original catalogue. Those interested in individual instruments can refer to the full catalogue.
