G. V. JUGGAROW OBSERVATORY.
DABA GARDENS, VIZAGAPATAM.
Lat. 17° 42' 9" N. Long. 83° 22' 30" E. Height of the Barometer cistern above sea-level, 31 feet.
INTRODUCTION. The G. V. Juggarow Observatory was first established in 1840 on a small scale, by the late G. V. Juggarow, Esq., a wealthy zemindar of Vizagapatam. The Observatory still bears his name. On the demise of his widow, his daughter, Sri Ankitham Atchayyamma Garu became the zemindarni of Shermahomedpuram and Yembaram Estates, and her husband, the late A. Y. Nursingrow, Esq., threw up his appointment as Deputy Collector and took charge of the family estate, and at the same time devoted himself to the study of astronomy. His correspondence with English Astronomers soon obtained for him the titles of F.R.A.S., and F.R.G.S., and his astronomical and meteorological observations were much valued in England as well as in India.
The local community are indebted to the late A. V. Nursingrow, Esq., F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S., Rao Bahadur, for giving correct local time by an evening time gun the expense connected with which he defrayed.
Before his death he commenced making arrangements to place the observatory on a permanent basis as well as to erect a Celestial Photographic Observatory, but he died before completing this work.
After his death, his wife Sri Ankitham Atchayyamma Garu took charge of the observatory and conducted it with great liberality. She supplied its results to the Meteorological Reporters to the Governments of India, Bengal and Madras, and erected a Celestial Photographic Observatory. In accordance with the wishes of her father as well as her husband, she handed over the observatory on the 8th November, 1894, to the Government of India with an endowment of 3 lakhs of rupees for the permanent maintenance of the institution.
