Jantar Mantar, the heartland of dissent in Delhi | In pictures
Jantar Mantar, a historic site in Delhi, has been officially denotified as a protest venue following years of serving as a hub for public dissent. This decision follows recent youth-led agitations regarding voter list revisions.
Why it matters
The closure of a landmark protest site signals a significant shift in the landscape of civil liberties and public expression in India's capital.
B uilt 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.
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