WORLD'S LARGEST SUNDIALS

Note: The determination of the “largest” sundial in the world is difficult because it depends on whether it is measured by height, width, or the gnomon (the vertical structure that creates the shadow indicating the time of day).

Three of the largest sundials in the world are as follows:

The Samrat Yantra (translation: Supreme Instrument) in Jaipur, India is one of the world’s largest sundials. (It is difficult to pin down the “largest sundial in the world” because “largest” can translate to height or width).

The Samrat Yantra is 90 feet tall, and is so large that its shadow moves at speed of 1 millimeter per second. If you stand and watch it, you’ll see it move about 2 and 1/3 inches every minute. 

Samrat Yantra Sundial in Jaipur, India

The Sundial Bridge (also known as the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay)  is a cantilever spar cable-styed bridge for bicycles and pedestrians that spans the Sacramento River in Redding, California, and forms a large sundial.

The support tower of the bridge forms a single 217-foot mast that points due north at a cantilevered angle, allowing it to serve as the gnomon of a sundial. The Sundial Bridge gnomon’s shadow is cast upon a large dial to the north of the bridge. The tip of the shadow moves at approximately one foot per minute to that the Earth’s rotation about its axis can be seen with the naked eye.

The Sundial Bridge in Redding, California

Taipei 101 is a supertall skyscraper located in Taipei, Taiwan. It held the record as the world’s tallest building from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of the Burj Khalifa.  

A circular park to the east of Taipei 101 acts as the sundial face, telling the afternoon hours using the shadow cast by the building. 

Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan