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.
Photo:
Rajeev Bhatt
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists demonstrate at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on June 16, 2004, to protest the central government’s decision to hike the prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG.
Photo:
S. Subramanium
Students clash with police during a protest march at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in 2014, demanding action against racism following attacks on people from Northeast India and the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Members of the Northeast community hold a candlelight vigil at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in 2014 to demand justice for Nido Tania, the student from Arunachal Pradesh whose death sparked widespread outrage against racism.
Photo:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Farmers from Tamil Nadu display what they state are the skulls of farmers who died by suicide during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in 2017, demanding drought relief and farm loan waivers.
Photo:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Tamil Nadu farmers stage a grim protest at Jantar Mantar in 2017, eating raw meat and biting into bones and skulls. After 44 days in the national capital without a response to their grievances, the protesters accused both the Central and state governments of ignoring their demands, warning they would resort to eating flesh from human bodies to press their case.
Photo:
Shanker Chakravarty
Protesting farmers from Tamil Nadu hold skulls during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in 2017 to demand loan waivers and a drought-relief package.
Photo:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Students hold placards during a protest march at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 31, 2012, demanding justice following the death of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Thousands of anti-rape protesters stage a candlelight vigil at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 29, 2012, demanding justice for the gang-rape victim.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sangeeta Phogat march with other protesters from Jantar Mantar toward the new Parliament House near the WFI chief’s residence in New Delhi on May 28, 2023.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat (top) and Sangeeta Phogat struggle with security personnel as they are detained during a march from Jantar Mantar toward the new Parliament House in New Delhi on May 28, 2023.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat, along with other protesters, are detained by security personnel during a march from Jantar Mantar toward Parliament House in New Delhi on May 28, 2023.
Photo:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Members and supporters of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) during their protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged rigging of the NEET-UG exam and against the Agniveer Scheme, in New Delhi on June 27, 2024.
Photo:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Members of various student organisations staging a protest against the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG exams 2024 at Janter Mantar in New Delhi on July 3, 2024.
Photo:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 22, 2026, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak.
Photo:
PTI
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters raise slogans as they gather ahead of a protest march at the Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi on July 20, 2026.
Photo:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Supporters gather in support of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 19, 2026, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak.
Photo:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka march with supporters from Patel Chowk to Parliament Street Police Station on July 20, 2026, demanding strict action over an alleged assault on protester Nishu Azad’s father by Swatantra Bhardwaj during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Protesters are detained at Jantar Mantar following a call by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) for demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Photo:
Sushil Kumar Verma
Delhi Police detain demonstrators at Jantar Mantar on October 10, 2026, during a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll manipulation. From smaller pressure groups to national parties and Opposition alliances, a wide range of organisations chose the site to press their demands.
From smaller pressure groups to national parties and Opposition alliances, a wide range of organisations chose the site to press their demands.
Published – October 13, 2026 07:06 pm IST
