Thursday, November 4, 2010

World’s Largest Cannon !





Located at the Jaigarh fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the Jaivana is the world’s biggest wheeled cannon ever constructed !

Some key features about this huge cannon are listed below:

a) It was cast in 1720, during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur.

b) The length of the barrel of the cannon is 20 feet, 2 inches and it weighs 50 tons. It rests on a 7.3 m long shaft.

c) It rests on a high 4 wheeled carriage. The front wheels are 2.74 metres in diameter and the rear wheels are 1.37 metres in diameter.

d) About 100 kilograms (a quintal) of gun powder fired a shot ball weighing 50 kg.

It has never been used in any battle, but was reportedly test fired, once in 1720, which resulted is massive damage. It is also said, that it took four elephants to swivel it around on its axis.

It is indeed a great feat to produce such a massive cannon and to place it right on top of a hill !

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