In a remote part of Rajasthan’s Mewar region, archaeologists have discovered a unique Iron-Age stone circle that appears to have functioned as a celestial observatory. The site consists of twelve massive basalt slabs, each precisely aligned with the rising and setting positions of specific constellations as they would have appeared in 500 BCE.
Central to the complex is a towering monolith that serves as a gnomon, casting shadows that track the solar year. Researchers believe the site was used by ancient Vedic communities to calculate the timing of agricultural festivals and sacrificial rites, demonstrating a sophisticated level of astronomical literacy in rural ancient India.