Why CJP chose the Jantar Mantar as its protest site: A history of the 18th-century stone observatory

ON an ordinary bicycle daytime, the deep-red brick structures of new delhi’s Jantar Mantar tin seem out of place. Unlike Mughal buildings with carved stone or Hindu temples with detailed sculpture, these forms are plain and geometric. They often feel closer to modern Bauhaus-style design than to an 18th-century monument. Today, the stone structures of Jantar Mantar sit behind a new political gathering. Track live updates hereAbhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)has called for a peaceful sit-in at the site. The Party is protesting to demand the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan following anger over recent irregularities in the examination system. This mainly includes the NEET-UG paper leak case and the CBSE OSM row.With over 1,000 Delhi Police personnel deployed, as per PTI, and CJP leaders expected to move through Parliament Street Police Station to complete permissions, Jantar Mantar is again becoming a key site for public protest in Delhi.ALSO READ | Did US inform about Abhijeet Dipke's deportation? Govt gets question ahead of CJP protestWhy the CJP is protesting at Jantar MantarSpokespersons for the group have said that Jantar Mantar is a natural site for such a gathering. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is expected to join the protest, has also called for peaceful participation and asked not to get violent or disrupt the cause.“Jantar Mantar has historically been a site for peaceful dissent. We are confident that the police will give us permission,” spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said at a press meet on June 3. “To protest is our fundamental right by the Constitution,” chief spokesperson Saurav Das said. Why Jantar Mantar is used for protestsJantar Mantar in Delhi became a designated protest site in 1993, as per Frontline Magazine. Before that, large demonstrations in Delhi often took place at the Boat Club area near India Gate.After the 1988 farmers’ protest disrupted central Delhi, authorities shifted the main permitted protest zone to Jantar Mantar Road.The location was chosen for practical reasons. It is close to Parliament, which allows visibility and access to the political centre, but it is also contained enough to be barricaded and managed by police without shutting down large parts of the city. Over time, it developed into a fixed space where protests could be held under regulation.ALSO READ | ‘No hinsa, offer flowers to police, bring a book’: CJP guidelines ahead of big Delhi protest today Landmark movements at Jantar MantarThe Jantar Mantar has hosted several landmark movements. In 2011, the Anna Hazare anti-corruption agitation at the monument became a major national mobilisation. It later fed into the political momentum that led to the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).In 2012-2013, the site saw frequent protests after the Nirbhaya gang rape case, which led to key changes in women’s safety laws.In the mid-2010s, it saw 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 recurring platform for farmers from states like Tamil Nadu and sustained ex-servicemen protests 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. It 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 allegationsALSO READ | Abhijeet Dipke's CJP gets new supporters ahead of big Delhi protest: Check namesWhat Jantar Mantar actually isThe site was not originally a protest ground. It was an 18th-century astronomical observatory. The monument was commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the Rajput ruler of Amber, and completed in 1724. It was the first of five monumental observatories he would construct across North India, with subsequent sites built in Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, and Mathura.While popularly called Jantar Mantar, archival records of the Jaipur state reveal its true name: Jantra, a Sanskrit word for astronomical instruments or mystical diagrams.The instruments at Jantar Mantar were designed to study the movement of celestial bodies using large, fixed masonry structures. They were used to calculate time, track the sun’s position, and improve astronomical tables used in calendars and rituals.Unlike most monuments in Delhi, it is neither a fort, palace, nor religious site. It is a scientific structure built for observation and measurement. Over time, its unusual geometry and open layout made it distinct in the urban landscape.Today, it is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.