Astronomy (Jyotisha) in India began as a vedanga (limb of Veda) for timing rituals but evolved into a sophisticated science of observation and calculation.

Key Discoveries

• Heliocentrism: Aryabhata proposed the earth rotates on its axis.
• Eclipses: Scientific explanation of solar and lunar eclipses (shadows of moon/earth) rather than demons (Rahu/Ketu).
• Gravity: Brahmagupta recognized gravity as an attractive force.

Observatories

Jantar Mantar: Built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the 18th century (Jaipur, Delhi) to measure time, predict eclipses, and track stars with massive masonry instruments.

Timeline

• c. 1400 BCE: Vedanga Jyotisha (Lagadha).
• c. 500 CE: Aryabhata's planetary models.
• 1724-1735: Construction of Jantar Mantars.