Jantar Mantar, the heartland of dissent in Delhi | In pictures

Built in 1724 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as an astronomical observatory, Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has evolved over three centuries into India’s most iconic public gathering space. Jantar Mantar Road eventually became the capital’s primary protest ground, after demonstrations shifted from the sprawling Boat Club lawns near India Gate in the early 1990s due to administrative and traffic regulations. Its proximity to Parliament and key Union Government Ministries transformed the site into an accessible platform for citizens, activists and student unions to voice their dissent.

Over the decades, Jantar Mantar has provided the backdrop for major movements that defined modern Indian history. In 1993, a massive Jail Bharo agitation against government economic policies brought thousands to the site. In April 2011, activist Anna Hazare launched a landmark five-day hunger strike demanding the Jan Lokpal Bill, which sparked a nationwide anti-corruption movement. This was followed by the widespread Nirbhaya protests in December 2012, which galvanised public outrage against sexual violence and led to major legal reforms. 

The site has also sustained protests in the subsequent years including the 2014 demonstrations demanding justice for Nido Tania, the 41-day sit-in by Tamil Nadu farmers in 2017, the 2023 protests by Olympic wrestlers against federation leadership and youth mobilisations over NEET-UG exam paper leak, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in July 2026.

However, the status of Jantar Mantar as the heart of New Delhi protests and a symbol of public dissent is now facing major transformation. Following weeks of youth-led agitations demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over controversial voter list revisions, the Delhi Police has now formally denotified Jantar Mantar as a protest venue on October 12, 2026.

Here are some of the images that capture the journey of this heartland of dissent, its decades-long evolution from an astronomical observatory to a contested protest site.

Photo: R.V. Moorthy

An aerial view of the historic Jantar Mantar in the heart of the Delhi city. Its location, less than 3 km from Parliament, made Jantar Mantar a symbolic alternative to marches towards Parliament.

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Delhi Jantar Mantar, originally known as Yantra Mantra, was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur as an astronomical observatory at the behest of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah.

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Supporters of anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare gather for a day-long fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 11, 2011, to protest the proposals of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill.