On a normal day, the dark red brick buildings of Delhi’s Jantar Mantar might look out of place. Unlike Mughal buildings with carved stone or Hindu temples with detailed carvings, these forms are simple and geometric. They often feel closer to modern Bauhaus-style design than an 18th-century monument. Today, the stone structures of Jantar Mantar lie behind a new political assembly. Follow live updates here
Abhijit Debaki, Founder The Sarsour Janta Party (CJP) called for a peaceful sit-in at the site. The party is protesting to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after anger over recent irregularities in the examination system. This mainly includes NEET-UG paper leakage case and CBSE OSM description.
With more than 1,000 Delhi Police personnel deployed, according to PTI, and CJP leaders expected to move through Parliament Street police station to complete permissions, Jantar Mantar has once again become a major site of public protest in Delhi.
Read also | Has the United States notified the deportation of Abhijit Debaki? The government gets a question before the AKP protests
Why is the CJP protesting at Jantar Mantar?
Jantar Mantar is a natural location for such a gathering, group spokespersons said. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is expected to join the protest, also called for peaceful participation and asked not to resort to violence or disrupt the issue.
“Jantar Mantar has historically been a site of peaceful dissent. We are confident that the police will give us permission to do so.” Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said at a press conference on June 3. “Protest is our fundamental right under the Constitution,” said keynote speaker Sourav Das.
Why is Jantar Mantar used for protests?
Delhi’s Jantar Mantar became a designated protest site in 1993, according to Frontline magazine. Before that, large demonstrations in Delhi were often held in the Boat Club area near India Gate.
After the 1988 farmers’ protest disrupted central Delhi, authorities moved the main permitted protest area to Jantar Mantar Road.
The location was chosen for practical reasons. It’s close to Parliament, which allows visibility and access to the political center, but is also sufficiently encircled to be barricaded and manned by police without closing off large parts of the city. Over time, it developed into a fixed space in which protests could be organized under regulation.
Read also | ‘No hansa, give flowers to police, bring book’: CJP’s guidelines ahead of today’s major Delhi protest
Historical movements in Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar has hosted many historical movements. In 2011, Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign at the memorial became a major national mobilization. It later fueled the political momentum that led to the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In 2012-2013, the site witnessed repeated protests after the Nirbhaya gang rape case, which led to major changes in women’s safety laws.
The mid-2000s witnessed student and civil society protests, including the FTII agitation, the Rohith Vemula case in 2016, and the “Not in My Name” campaign against lynching.
It also became a frequent platform for farmers from states like Tamil Nadu and ongoing protests by ex-servicemen over One Rank One Pension from 2015 onwards.
The site was briefly restricted in 2017 by the National Green Tribunal over environmental concerns, before the Supreme Court restored protest rights in 2018. The site has remained active through major movements such as the 2019–2020 anti-CAA protests and continued to host student-led demonstrations in 2023 over wrestling federation allegations.
Read also | Abhijit Debaki’s CJP gets new supporters ahead of major Delhi protest: Check names
What is Jantar Mantar actually
The site was not originally a protest square. It was an 18th century astronomical observatory. The memorial was commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the Rajput ruler of Amber, and was completed in 1724. It was the first of five massive observatories he would build across northern India, with subsequent sites built in Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura.
While it is popularly called Jantar Mantar, Jaipur state archival records reveal its real name: Jantra, a Sanskrit word meaning astronomical instruments or mystical charts.
The instruments at Jantar Mantar were designed to study the movement of celestial bodies using large, fixed stone structures. They were used to calculate time, track the position of the sun, and improve astronomical tables used in calendars and rituals.
Unlike most of Delhi’s monuments, it is not a fort, palace or religious site. It is a scientific construct built for observation and measurement. Over time, its unusual architecture and open design made it a distinctive place in the urban landscape.
Today, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
