India, Oct. 12 -- Jantar Mantar as a location in the heart of New Delhi has emerged as the embodiment of and defining symbol of protests over the last three decades. The observatory itself was built to monitor celestial bodies like the sun and different planets. Built of red sandstone, these clocks of pre-modern India brought together Indian, Persian and European expertise. Though no longer used to measure time or predict fortunes, observing today's Jantar Mantar--both the physical and metaphorical-helps us detect signs of what lies in store.

The Jantar Mantar in Delhi was built by Sawai Jai Singh II, the king of Amer and one of the Mughal empire's most important allies, on the orders of Emperor Muhammad Shah (1702-1748 CE), popularly kn...