Passionate about science and astronomy and an expert on the theories of Ptolemy, Copernicus and Galileo, the Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Sing II, had this impressive open-air conservatory built between 1728 and 1733. It houses 17 instruments, whose forms bring to mind very contemporary sculpture. Each instrument has a function, such as the Nari Valaya Yantra, which calculates the time in different parts of the world, and the Brihat Samrat Yantra, an enormous sundial.