On 22 January, the consecration of Ram Lalla took place in Shri Ram Mandir in the city of Lord Ram, Ayodhya. The Ram Mandir built in Ayodhya will emerge as a major center of faith for Hindus all over the world, including India. The grand Ram Mandir that is taking shape today has a long legal battle that lasted for decades behind it. The journey of Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya has been full of challenges. The Babri dispute, the long battle in the courts and then the start of the construction of the temple after the verdict of the Supreme Court. Now the wait of the countrymen for 22 January is almost over.
- 1528: The dispute started with the construction of a mosque on Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya
. Let us now take you into history. The story begins in 1526. This was the year when Mughal ruler Babur came to India. Two years later, Babur’s governor Mirbaki built a mosque in Ayodhya. This mosque was built at the same place where Lord Ram was born. In honor of Babur, Mir Baqi named this mosque Babri Masjid. This was the period when Mughal rule was spreading across the country. During the rule of the Mughals and the Nawabs from 1528 to 1853, Hindus could not be very vocal in this matter. In the 19th century, the rule of the Mughals and the Nawabs started weakening. The British rule had become effective. It was during this period that Hindus raised this issue and said that the temple of Lord Ram’s birthplace was demolished and a mosque was built. After this, the fight to get Ramlala’s birthplace back started.
- 1858: First FIR lodged 330 years after Babri Masjid was built
The fight became legal in 1858, 330 years after Mirbaki built the mosque, when for the first time an FIR was lodged for performing havan and pujan inside the premises. According to the book Ayodhya Revisited, on December 1, 1858, Awadh’s police station in-charge Sheetal Dubey informed in his report that a platform had been built inside the premises. This is the first legal document that has evidence of the presence of Ram’s symbol inside the premises. After this, a wire fence was erected and Muslims and Hindus were allowed to perform puja and namaz separately in the inner and outer premises of the disputed land. - 1885: When the matter of a permanent house for Ram reached the court
. 27 years after the incident of 1858, the fight for Ram Janmabhoomi reached the court in 1885. When, Mahant Raghubar Das of Nirmohi Akhara filed a civil suit regarding ownership in the court of Faizabad. Das demanded to make the temporary temple built on the Ram platform located in the outer courtyard of the Babri structure permanent and put a roof on it. The judge ruled that Hindus have the right to worship there, but they cannot give permission to make the temple permanent and put a roof on it, against the decision of the District Magistrate.
- 1949: Unfolding of the idols
While on one hand the movement for independence continued by running a movement against the British across the country, on the other hand the fight for Ram Janmabhoomi also continued. Two years after the independence of the country, on 22 December 1949, the idols were unveiled under the dome inside the structure. - 1950: The first case after independence
The first case after independence was filed by Hindu Mahasabha member Gopal Singh Visharda in the court of Civil Judge, Faizabad on January 16, 1950. Visharda demanded worship of the idols of God located under the main dome of the structure. About 11 months later, on December 5, 1950, Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans filed a case in the court of Civil Judge making a similar demand. In the case, a demand was made to stop the other party from disturbing worship at the concerned site.
On March 3, 1951, in the Gopal Singh Visharda case, the court instructed the Muslim party not to interfere in worship. A similar order was given in the case filed by Paramhans. - 1959: Nirmohi Akhara sought permission to perform puja-archana.
On 17 December 1959, six persons from Nirmohi Akhara, on behalf of Ramanand sect, filed a case and staked their claim on this place. They also demanded that receiver Priyadatta Ram be removed and they be given permission to perform puja-archana. This is their right. In the series of cases, another case was filed on 18 December 1961. This case was filed by Central Sunni Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh. It was said that this place belongs to Muslims. The structure should be taken away from Hindus and given to Muslims. The idols should be removed from inside the structure. These cases continued in the court. Before talking about the decisions, let us move towards some other movements that took place for Ram’s work.
- 1982: Campaign for the liberation of Hindu religious places
It was the year 1982. This was the year when Vishwa Hindu Parishad declared the construction of mosques on the places of Ram, Krishna and Shiva as a conspiracy and announced to launch a campaign for their liberation. Two years later, on 8 April 1984, saints and Hindu leaders in Delhi decided to launch a movement for the liberation of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya and to open the lock. - 1986: The lock of the premises was opened
Since we have talked about lawsuits, let us again turn to the legal battle and talk about the decisions. A decision came on 1 February 1986 when District Judge of Faizabad KM Pandey ordered the opening of the lock of this place on the application of local advocate Umesh Pandey. The appeal filed in the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court against the decision was rejected. - 1989: Foundation stone of the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi was laid.
In January 1989, during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, it was decided to hold Shila Pujan in every village for the construction of the temple. Also, the foundation stone of the temple was announced to be laid at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Sthal on 9 November 1989. After a lot of controversy and tussle, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi gave permission for the foundation stone. The foundation stone was laid by Kameshwar Chaupal, a resident of Bihar. - 1990: Advani started Rath Yatra, gave edge to the movement.
The movement was gaining momentum in the 1990s. Meanwhile, in September 1990, Lal Krishna Advani started with Rath Yatra. This Yatra gave more edge to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The politics of the country was changing rapidly. Advani was arrested. Along with the arrest, there was a change of power at the center. The Janata Dal government formed with the support of BJP fell. Chandrashekhar became the Prime Minister with the support of Congress. This government also did not last long. Fresh elections were held and once again Congress came to power at the center. In the midst of all this came that historic date, without mentioning which this story cannot be complete. - 1992: Disputed structure fell, Kalyan government dismissed.
The date was 6 December 1992. On this day, thousands of Kar Sevaks who reached Ayodhya demolished the disputed structure. In its place, they built a temporary temple on the same evening and started worshipping. The then PV Narasimha Rao government at the center dismissed the BJP governments of other states including the Kalyan Singh government of the state. Communal violence took place in many places in the country including Uttar Pradesh, in which many people died. In the Ayodhya Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station, a case was registered against thousands of people including many BJP leaders in the structure demolition case. With this, the number of cases in the legal battle for Ram’s work started increasing. - 1993: Permission was granted for darshan and pujan.
Curfew was imposed in Ayodhya on 8 December 1992, two days after the demolition of Babri. Lawyer Harishankar Jain pleaded in the Lucknow Bench of the High Court that the God is hungry. Permission should be given for Ram Bhog. About 25 days later, on 1 January 1993, Judge Harinath Tilhari granted permission for darshan and pujan. On 7 January 1993, the Central Government acquired a total of 67 acres of land here, including the place where the structure was located and the land given to the trust by the Kalyan Singh government. - 2002: Hearing on ownership rights started in the High Court.
In April 2002, the Lucknow Bench of the High Court began hearing to determine the ownership of the disputed site. On 5 March 2003, the High Court directed the Archaeological Survey of India to excavate the site. On 22 August 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India submitted a report to the court. It said that there was a huge Hindu religious structure (temple) under the ground at the site. - 2010: Allahabad High Court gave a historic decision
On 30 September 2010, Allahabad High Court ordered to divide this place equally among the three parties Shri Ram Lala Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Central Waqf Board. The judges considered the place under the middle dome where the idols were kept as the birthplace. After this, the matter reached the Supreme Court. On 21 March 2017, the Supreme Court offered to solve the matter through mediation. It also said that if both the parties agree, it is also ready for this. - 2017: Supreme Court offers mediation
The battle for Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya had now reached the country’s Supreme Court. On 21 March 2017, the Supreme Court offered to resolve the matter through mediation. It also said that if both the parties agree, it is ready for this. - 2019: Supreme Court verdict and way cleared for temple construction
On 6 August 2019, the Supreme Court started daily hearings. On 16 October 2019, the hearing in the Supreme Court was completed and the court reserved the decision. Before this, the hearing was held continuously for 40 days in the Supreme Court.
On 9 November 2019, it was now time for the final decision in the battle that had been going on for 134 years. On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court considered the concerned site as Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and 2.77 acres of land as the ownership of Ram Lalla. At the same time, the claims of Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Waqf Board were rejected. Along with this, the court directed that the central government should form a trust within three months for the construction of the temple and the trust should include a representative of Nirmohi Akhara. Apart from this, it was also ordered that the government of Uttar Pradesh should provide 5 acres of land at a suitable place to the Muslim side as an alternative to build a mosque. - 2020: Construction of the temple begins in Ayodhya with the laying of the foundation stone.
With this, the long legal battle that had been going on for decades came to an end. Now it was the turn of construction. On 5 February 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the construction of the temple in Ayodhya. Exactly six months later, on 5 August 2020, the foundation stone of the Ram temple was laid in Ayodhya, in which PM Modi participated. - 2024: Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in the grand temple
After a legal battle of 134 years, now a grand Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya. The first phase of the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi has been completed. 22 January 2024 is the historic date when the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram took place in the temple. The temple will open for the general public from 23 January.
