Paper Models

With our printable templates and a few simple tools, you will be building your own model of one of the instruments in no time!

Models are a way to test our ideas and try them out on a small scale. Will the shadow of the sun from a diagonal wall, falling on a circular scale, move equal distances with equal differences in time? Jai Singh built models of his instruments before committing precious labor and materials to build the final versions at large scale. With our templates, you can build a scale model of the Samrat Yantra and test the theory of the equinoctial (or equatorial) sundial!

Although the materials are very simple, this is a complex model and some experience with folding paper (origami) and model building will be helpful.

I used the model I built to create a time-lapse video illustrating how the sundial works - check it out!

YouTube Video
paper model

The templates are a 34MB PDF file designed to be printed on cardstock. You will need cardstock, scissors, a modeling knife, a surface to cut on, and glue.

download the templates

Step-by-step illustrated instructions are available as a PDF file.

download the instructions

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