Jantar Mantar: From astronomical observatory to landmark protest site

Denotification removes Jantar Mantar’s official status as a permitted protest venue. It does not erase the historic observatory or physically close the site. Instead, it changes where demonstrations can be organised under the police’s current arrangements. The decision followed recommendations from a Ministry of Home Affairs committee that studied alternative protest locations.

The Delhi Police named Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as the new venues. This shifts organised demonstrations away from a site less than 3 km from Parliament. Jantar Mantar became a major protest hub because people could demonstrate near the political centre while staying outside Parliament’s high-security perimeter.

The immediate reality is that groups seeking permission for protests will have to use the three designated grounds. Political leaders and legislators may no longer be able to step out of Parliament and address demonstrators at Jantar Mantar as easily. The change could reshape Delhi’s protest geography, although the article does not state how long the new arrangement will last.

The Delhi Police has designated three locations for protests and demonstrations after Jantar Mantar was denotified. They are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi. The change followed recommendations by a Ministry of Home Affairs committee tasked with identifying alternative sites.

These grounds are intended to provide official spaces where organisations can hold demonstrations. Jantar Mantar had become Delhi’s most recognisable protest venue because of its symbolic location near Parliament. The new arrangement therefore changes both the authorised locations and the political setting in which protests take place.

The immediate reality is that protesters and organising groups must plan demonstrations at one of the three designated grounds. The article does not provide their distances from Parliament, their capacities or any special rules for each site. It does, however, identify them as the police-approved alternatives after Jantar Mantar’s removal from the protest list.

Jantar Mantar’s location, less than 3 km from Parliament, gave it unusual political importance. Demonstrators could bring demands close to the country’s political establishment without marching into Parliament’s high-security perimeter. The site therefore became a symbolic alternative to direct marches towards Parliament.

Its proximity also created a practical connection with lawmakers. Political leaders and legislators could leave the House and address protesters directly. This helped turn a gathering at Jantar Mantar into a visible political exchange, rather than a demonstration separated from decision-makers by distance or security barriers.

With Jantar Mantar denotified, that combination of visibility, symbolism and access is no longer available at the same designated site. The three alternatives are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi, but the article gives no distances from Parliament. Their use may alter how protesters reach leaders and attract attention.

Jantar Mantar became a national protest symbol because different groups used it to press major public demands. Anna Hazare began a fast there on April 5, 2011, seeking enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill. After the death of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student who was gang-raped in Delhi, crowds gathered on December 30, 2012, demanding justice and stronger laws against violence against women.

The site also hosted large anti-CAA protests. On December 19, 2019, thousands opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. Another large march reached Jantar Mantar on December 25. Olympians and international wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, also launched a sit-in there.

These examples show the venue’s range, from civil-society campaigns to national political and athlete-led protests. The article says Opposition parties most recently used it while seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Jantar Mantar is now denotified, so future demonstrations must use three alternative grounds.

Jantar Mantar gave protesters two valuable advantages: proximity to Parliament and a recognised public stage. Because it stood less than 3 km away, groups could voice demands near the country’s political establishment while remaining outside the high-security perimeter. That closeness also allowed political leaders and legislators to step out of the House and address demonstrators.

Its record shows how attention could build there. Hundreds joined Anna Hazare’s 2011 fast, large crowds gathered after the 2012 Delhi case, and thousands attended anti-CAA demonstrations in 2019. Opposition parties also used the site while seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

After denotification, protesters must use Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground or CBD Ground in East Delhi. The article does not give their distances, capacities or media visibility. Therefore, it establishes the loss of Jantar Mantar’s direct political proximity, but not the exact effect on attendance, coverage or access to leaders.

Jantar Mantar was built around 1724 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur at the request of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. Originally called Yantra Mantra, it was an astronomical observatory. Its purpose was to compile astronomical tables and predict the movements and positions of the Sun, Moon and planets.

The observatory used large fixed instruments rather than modern electronic equipment. Its four principal yantras were the Samrat Yantra, Ram Yantra, Jai Prakash Yantra and Mishra Yantra. Together with 14 other geometric devices, they measured time, determined celestial altitudes, tracked planetary movements and helped forecast weather. Naked-eye observations produced remarkably accurate readings.

The Delhi observatory was the first of five Jantar Mantars established by Jai Singh II. Others were built in Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi, although the Mathura site no longer survives. The complex is now known equally for its protest history, but its original purpose remained scientific measurement of the sky.

Public protests influence democratic governments by making grievances visible, building collective pressure and creating opportunities for leaders to respond. The article shows this through Anna Hazare’s campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill, demonstrations demanding stronger laws against violence against women, and anti-CAA protests. These movements brought large groups together around specific demands and placed those demands in public debate.

Authorities regulate where and how demonstrations occur because protests use public spaces and can affect security, movement and access to important institutions. The article gives concrete examples: Jantar Mantar lies outside Parliament’s high-security perimeter, police stopped some Nirbhaya protesters who tried to march towards central Delhi, and prohibitory orders were imposed around Mandi House during an anti-CAA demonstration.

Delhi has now denotified Jantar Mantar and designated Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi. This preserves official spaces for demonstrations while changing their location. The article does not state the new sites’ specific rules or how they will affect government decisions.