In fact, the Misra Yantra inside the Jantar Mantar observatory complex was the inspiration behind the logo of the Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982. Till the early 1990s, Jantar Mantar, an 18th century astronomical observatory built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, was a part of the list of places to sightsee in Delhi , and school students were taken there for annual excursions.
One could walk on this half a kilometer stretch on single street to get a glimpse of grievances across India. An order issued by the Delhi Commissioner of Police Anurag Kumar states that based on recommendations of committee Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified. Three new venues– Ramlila ground, Burari ground and CBD ground in East Delhi have been designated as new venues for protests and demonstrations. This is not the first instance when protests have been officially stopped at Jantar Mantar. In Varun Seth & Ors. v. Police Commissioner, Delhi Police, local residents of Jantar Mantar Road complained of severe noise pollution, blockage of residential entryways, trash accumulation, and sanitation issues from continuous demonstrations. Over the decades, Jantar Mantar has developed its own ecosystem to support protests. Besides the Neem lined stretch providing shade in Delhi’s harsh summer, there are eight small eateries including Kutty’s South Indian food, and a dozen tea services. A grossly overused NDMC public restroom and a few mobile toilets. Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in the vicinity is generous with both food and toilets and sometimes shelter from police crackdowns. So where will citizens express their grievances in the national capital? Delhi police has named three venues. Ramila Maidan, which has a history of hosting agitations, is the closest to Lutyens’ Delhi among the three designated venues at a distance of about four kilometres. Both CBD ground and Ramlila ground are currently hosting Ramlila with fairs. RWAs in East Delhi have flagged CBD ground area is too congested .
For 33 years, the half a kilometer stretch near the observatory has provided space for all, measuring public discontent, bringing together farmers, workers, veterans, students, activists and citizens protesting against decisions they believed had left them unheard. On an average, the Parliament Street police station receives more than 24,000 requests for permission to hold protests every year. In 2017, tribunal directed authorities to stop protests in the area, citing residents’ right to a clean and noise-free environment under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court in July 2018 subsequently observed that a blanket ban on all protests at Jantar Mantar was not viable, leaving authorities to balance the right to peaceful assembly with residents’ concerns. the CBD Ground in Shahdara is at a distance of over 12 kilometers from Jantar Mantar While the Burari Ground is around 18 kilometres away.
On Monday, the Jantar Mantar has been de-notified as a designated protest venue.
In the last two prominent protests at the site, Jantar Mantar in January 2023 saw Indian female wrestlers protesting for an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of female wrestlers by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh during his tenure as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). More recently, the protest and hunger strike undertaken by Sonam Wangchuk and CJP took place in between June 6 and July 25, 2026. The protest was so massive that the gathering repeatedly spilled over to nearby Tolstoy marg and Sansad Marg. It eventually resulted in resignation of the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
