The Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony is finally concluded at the auspicious moment at 12.29 PM on 22nd January. With the inauguration of Ram Mandir, a century-old series of incidents, controversies, and emotional conflicts have come to an end. So, let’s get an insight into the Ayodhya Ram Mandir history and the people who made this almost impossible dream come true.

The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Controversy:

With the consecration of the New Ayodhya Ram Mandir, all previous controversies have lost their pertinence. However, we cannot avoid the historical background of the journey of the Ram Mandir.

500-Years Timeline of Conflicts From 1528 to 2024:

1528: The Mosque Named Babri Masjid Was Built by the Mughal Emperor Babar on a Sacred Hindu Site

The conflict started with the building of a mosque at the site called Janambhumi by the local Hindus. They believed the place to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, and there was a temple from old times. 

1530-1605: Several Conflicts Continued Due to the Mandir-Masjid Debate

Ayodhya, on the bank of the river Gogra, is one of the seven sacred shrines for the Hindus. The name of the place is found in several ancient religious manuscripts and archaeological and historical records. For every community across the world, some physical landscapes are culturally or spiritually special, such as Ayodhya to the Hindus.

So Hindus never gave up their claim over the place of Ram Janmabhoomi, and religious clashes kept going on between the two communities. During the reign of Akbar, a square-shaped platform was built for the Hindus in the courtyard of the mosque. Also, a royal notice was passed recognizing the claim of the Hindus and allowing them to perform worship at the Chaubara.

1859: The British Intervention on the Ayodhya Conflict

British officials set up a fence to define the places of worship, allowing Muslims to use the inner court and Hindus the outer court.

1885: First Legal Initiative Towards the Building of the Ram Mandir

Mahant Raghubir Das filed a suit seeking permission to build a ceiling on Ram Chabutra, but the Faizabad district court rejected his plea the next year.

22 December 1949: Dramatic Appearance of Lord Rama at Midnight

On the night of 22 December 1949, an idol of Lord Ram appeared in the shrine of the Babri Masjid. For Hindus, it was a divine acknowledgment, but Muslims claimed that the idol was placed there by conspiracy.

18 January 1950: The First Suit was Filed on Behalf of Lord Rama

The first title suit was filed by Gopal Singh Visharad, seeking the right to worship the idols placed at ‘Asthan Janmabhoomi´. The court rejected the removal of idols and allowed the worship to continue.

24 April 1950: The State of Uttar Pradesh Appealed Against the Injunction Order

1959: The Second Suit was Filed by the Nirmohi Akhara 

They claimed possession of the site, rejecting the court-appointed authority. The institution claimed itself to be the custodian of the spot at which Ram was supposedly born.

18 December 1961: UP Sunni Central Board of Waqf Joined the Stage

They claimed possession of the mosque and adjoining land.

1983: Ayodhya Became a National Debate by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) 

They started a nationwide movement for the construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

1 February 1986: Formation Of Babri Masjid Action Committee

On a plea of Hari Shanker Dubey, a district judge directed Masjid gates to be unlocked to allow ‘darshan’. The Babri Masjid Action Committee came into existence.

1989: Third Title Suit Filed By VHP Vice-President At Allahabad High Court 

Former VHP vice-president Deoki Nandan Agarwala filed a new suit in the name of Lord Ram, claiming the title and possession in its favor at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

November 1989: VHP Laid the Foundation Stone of Ram Mandir

VHP carried out the Shilanyas ceremony in Ayodhya, and the first stone of the planned Ram Mandir was placed.

1990: VHP Volunteers Partially Damaged the Mosque

After partial damage to the Mosque by VHP workers, Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar tried to resolve the dispute through negotiations, which failed the next year.

September 1990: The Famous Rath Yatra by BJP leader LK Advani

BJP leader LK Advani started a yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya. He got arrested in Bihar during the yatra.

November 1990: Clash Between Kar Sevaks and UP Police

Karsevaks under VHP leaders engaged in clashes with Uttar Pradesh police in Ayodhya, where police used force to control the crowd, and scores of Karsevaks were killed.

1991: Political Rise of BJP

BJP became the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha with 120 seats.

June 1991: BJP Took Over UP After Assembly Election

BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh became Chief Minister of the state

6 December 1992: Demolition Of Babri Masjid

It was the turning point of the entire dispute when Babri mosque was demolished to the ground by supporters of the VHP, Shiv Sena, and BJP. The incident prompted nationwide communal riots between Hindus and Muslims in which more than 2,000 people died.

May 1996: BJP Came to the Power At The Centre

BJP became the single largest party in Lok Sabha elections, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee became PM for 13 days.

March 1998: General Election Within 2 Years

BJP returned to power with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as PM for the second time. The government lasted 13 months.

October 1999: BJP Came To Power For Full Term

BJP came to power at the Centre with a coalition of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and completed a full term.

2001: New Tensions Following the Anniversary of the Mosque Demolition

Disruptions started on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque. VHP vows again to build a Ram temple at the site.

January 2002: Creation Of Ayodhya Cell By Atal Bihari Bajpayee

Vajpayee had set up an Ayodhya cell in his office and appointed a senior official, Shatrughna Singh, to talk with Hindu and Muslim leaders.

February 2002: BJP Included The Construction Of Ram Mandir In Its UP Election Agenda

BJP announced its commitment to the construction of a temple in its election manifesto for UP assembly elections. VHP asserted a deadline of 15 March to begin construction. Hundreds of volunteers gathered on the site. 

27 February 2002 – Godhra Incident of Train Burning

In an apparently related incident, at least 58 people were killed in an attack on a train in Godhra, which was carrying Hindu activists returning from Ayodhya.

March 2002: Gujarat Riot

Following the Godhra train attack, a disastrous riot spread in Gujarat, costing more than 2000 lives.

April 2002: Allahabad High Court Started Hearing

Three Allahabad High Court judges began hearings on determining who owns the religious site.

January 2003: The Archaeological Department Began a Survey on the Site

An Allahabad high court bench ordered an archaeological survey to define whether a temple of Lord Ram did exist on the site.

August 2003: The ASI Report Supported The Pre-Existence Of A Temple On The Site

The ASI survey revealed the evidence of a temple underneath the mosque. However, Muslims rejected the report.At the funeral of Hindu activist Ramchandra Das Paramhans, Prime Minister Vajpayee told that he would fulfill the dying man’s urges and construct a temple at Ayodhya. However, he relied on the courts and negotiations would solve the matter.

September 2003: A Court Of Justice Convicted 7 Hindu Leaders For Mosque Demolition

A court made a judgment that seven Hindu leaders should face trial for instigating the collapse of the Babri Mosque. However, L K Advani, then deputy prime minister, stood out of any charge, though he was also at the site in 1992.

31 August 2003: All India Muslim Personal Law Board Announced that it would Challenge the ASI Report.

July 2005: Suspected Islamic Militants Attacked the Disputed Site

A group of six people reached the site in a jeep laden with explosives to blow a hole in the wall of the complex. Security forces killed five people suspecting militants.

June 2009: The Report Of Mosque Demolition Case Submitted By The Investigating Body

The Liberhan commission, investigating circumstances leading up to the mosque’s demolition submitted its report – 17 years after it began the inquiry. However, its contents were not made public.

8 September 2010: The High Court Announced the Verdict Date

The Allahabad HC decided 24 September as the verdict date of the Ayodhya dispute.

14 September 2010: A Writ Was Filed To Postpone The Judgment But Was Later Rejected By The High Court.

28 September 2010: The Allahabad High Court Announced The New Verdict Date After Getting Go-Ahead Signal From The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court rejected the petition for postponement and asked the Allahabad High Court to proceed to furnish the judgment on the Ayodhya title issue. The high court chose 30 September as verdict day.

30 September 2010: Allahabad High Court Presented The Long-Waited verdict On Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid Dispute 

A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court devided 2.77 acres of disputed land into 2:1 between Hindu and Muslim groups.

9 May 2011: SC Stayed the Verdict of the Allahabad High Court 

The highest court ordered dividing the disputed land into three parts, leaving the status quo unchanged.

June 2015: VHP launched a campaign in Rajasthan to gather Shilas

After more than ten years, two truckloads of etched stones arrived in Ayodhya. The state’s SP government declared the Shilas would not be allowed admission into Ayodhya.

21 March 2017: SC Recommended Out Of The Court Settlement Of Ayodhya Dispute

Since the Ayodhya matter was so delicate, the SC had recommended to settle the matter out of court.

8 February 2018: SC Rolled Out the Entry Of Any New Party in the Case

SC instructed the parties to ready their paperwork and declared that no more parties would be approved to enter the case. It made it clear that it would treat the situation like a land dispute. 

14 March 2018: SC Canceled 32 Intervention Petitions, Except the Parties Who Were Part of litigation at the HC.

8 March 2019: SC Constituted a Mediation Panel 

The highest court formed a panel appointing FM Kalifulla as the chairman and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu as members to mediate in the land title dispute.

2 August 2019: SC Announced The Failure Of The Panel

On receiving a failure report from the panel chairman, the court ordered a day-to-day hearing of the case from 6 August.

6 August 2019: Day-to-Day Hearing Of Ayodhya Dispute Started

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and comprising Justices Sharad Arvind Bopde, Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and Abdul Nazeer began the day-to-day hearing of the case.

9 November, 2019: The Almost 70-Year Long Dispute Came To An End

The five-judge bench ordered the setting up of a trust that paved the way for the construction of a temple at Ayodhya. It also ordered to allot 5 acres of land to Muslims in Ayodhya for building a mosque.

5 February 2020: Ram Mandir Trust Was Built

PM Narendra Modi announced in Lok Sabha the formation of a trust to construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

5 August 2020: The Foundation Stone Of The Ayodhya Ram Mandir Was Laid By The PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. It brought a historic triumph for his party. He announced that a grand temple would be built for ‘Ram Lalla’, the infant form of Lord Ram.

22 January 2024: Grand Inauguration Of Ayodhya Ram Mandir

The new idol of Ram Lalla was sanctified at the Ayodhya temple through a grand event witnessed by lakhs of people on television across the country. PM Modi performed the rituals of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ in the presence of several political, social, cultural, and religious dignitaries. However, many eminent leaders and activists of the Ayodhya movement already left the world and might have watched the blissful moment from their heavenly abode.

Conclusion:

The Ayodhya dispute started due to the religious intolerance of emperor Babur that continued for centuries. There are thousands of Mosques across every state, city, and village in India. Many of them are even built beneath temples, but nobody has any concern with it nor does anybody intend to break them. Then, why was Babri Masjid demolished? It’s because Hindus hold a religious emotion around Ayodhya, especially the sacred place called Janambhoomi. On the other hand, Babri Masjid was not a Mosque, but a structure built on the foundation of hatred for Hindus. Otherwise, the Mosque could be built anywhere other than that few acres of sacred Hindu area called Janambhoomi. 

Surprisingly, not a single party from the Muslim community ever came forward and wished to respect the religious emotions of Hindus. Instead, a group of educated Muslims joined the protest rally in Delhi against the Mandir inauguration. Why? Do they or their ancestors have any special religious bond with Ayodhya? Their protest is only driven by blind communal thoughts that should be understood by the people who think the Ayodhya dispute is a political agenda and there is no need to waste time on the 500-year-old issue. 

However, the Ayodhya dispute has been continued for centuries as a burning issue through pre and post-independence, and the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP Government has finally resolved the issue gracefully and magnificently.