wikipedia

The Babri Masjid (Hindi: बाबरी मिसजद, Urdu: ‫بابری مسجد‬, translation: Mosque of
Babur), was a mosque in Ayodhya, a city in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh, on
Ramkot Hill ("Rama's fort"). It was destroyed in 1992 when a political rally developed
into a riot involving 150,000 people,[1] despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme
Court by the rally organisers that the mosque would not be harmed.[2][3] More than 2,000
people, mostly Muslims, were killed in ensuing riots in many major Indian cities
including Mumbai and Delhi.[4]

The mosque was constructed in 1527 by order of Babur, the first Mughal emperor of
India.[5][6] Mir Baki, after seizing the Hindu structure from priests, named it Babri Masjid.
Before the 1940s, the mosque was called Masjid-i-Janmasthan ("mosque of the
birthplace") acknowledging the site as the birthplace of the Hindu deity, Lord Rama.[7]
Mir Baki, after seizing the Hindu structure from priests, named it Babri Masjid.

The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in

Uttar Pradesh, a state in India with some 31 million
Muslims.[8] Although there were several older
mosques in the surrounding district, including the
Hazrat Bal Mosque constructed by the Shariqi
kings, the Babri Mosque became the largest, due to
the importance of the disputed site. Despite its size
and fame, the mosque was little used by the Muslim
community of the district and numerous petitions
by Hindus to the courts resulted in Hindu
worshippers' of Rama gaining access to the site. The
political, historical and socio-religious debate over
the history and location of the Babri Mosque and
whether a previous temple was demolished or
modified to create it, is known as the Ayodhya
Debate.
Architecture of the mosque
The rulers of the Sultanate of Delhi and its successor, the Mugal Empire, were great
patrons of art and architecture and constructed many fine tombs, mosques and madrasas.
These have a distinctive style which bears influences of 'later Tughlaq' architecture.
Mosques all over India were built in different styles; the most elegant styles developed in
areas where indigenous art traditions were strong and local artisans were highly skilled.
Thus regional or provincial styles of mosques grew out of local temple or domestic
styles, which were conditioned in their turn by climate, terrain, materials, hence the
enormous difference between the mosques of Bengal, Kashmir and Gujarat. The Babri
Mosque followed the architectural school of Jaunpur.

Babri was an important mosque of a distinct style, preserved mainly in architecture,

developed after the Delhi Sultanate was established (1192). The square CharMinar of
Hyderabad (1591) with large arches, arcades, and minarets is typical. This art made
extensive use of stone and reflected Indian adaptation to Muslim rule, until Mughals art
replaced it in the 17th century, as typified by structures like the Taj Mahal.

The traditional hypostyle plan with an enclosed courtyard, imported from Western Asia
was generally associated with the introduction of Islam in new areas, but was abandoned
in favour of schemes more suited to local climate and needs. The Babri Masjid was a
mixture of the local influence and the Western Asian style and examples of this type of
mosque are common in India.

The Babri Mosque was a large imposing structure with three domes, one central and two
secondary. It is surrounded by two high walls, running parallel to each other and
enclosing a large central courtyard with a deep well, which was known for its cold and
sweet water. On the high entrance of the domed structure are fixed two stone tablets
which bear two inscriptions in Persian declaring that this structure was built by one Mir
Baqi on the orders of Babur. The walls of the Babri Mosque are made of coarse-grained
whitish sandstone blocks, rectangular in shape, while the domes are made of thin and
small burnt bricks. Both these structural ingredients are plastered with thick chunam
paste mixed with coarse sand.

The Central Courtyard was surrounded by lavishly curved columns superimposed to

increase the height of the ceilings. The plan and the architecture followed the Begumpur
Friday mosque of Jahanpanah rather than the Moghul style where Hindu masons used
their own trabeated structural and decorative traditions. The excellence of their
craftsmanship is noticeable in their vegetal scrolls and lotus patterns. These motifs are
also present in the Firuyyz Shah Mosque in Firuzabad (c.1354) now in a ruined state,
Qila Kuhna Mosque (c.1540), The Darasbari Mosque in the Southern suburb of the
walled city of Gaur, and the Jamali Kamili Mosque built by Sher Shah Suri. This was the
forerunner of the Indo Islamic style adopted by Akbar.

Babri Masjid acoustic and cooling system

"A whisper from the Babri Masjid Mihrab could be heard clearly at the other end, 200
feet [60 m] away and through the length and breadth of the central court" according to
Graham Pickford, architect to Lord William Bentinck (1828–1833). The mosque's
acoustics were mentioned by him in his book 'Historic Structures of Oudhe' where he
says “for a 16th century building the deployment and projection of voice from the pulpit
is considerably advanced, the unique deployment of sound in this structure will astonish
the visitor”.

Modern architects have attributed this intriguing acoustic feature to a large recess in the
wall of the Mihrab and several recesses in the surrounding walls which functioned as
resonators; this design helped everyone to hear the speaker at the Mihrab. The sandstone
used in building the Babri Mosque also had resonant qualities which contributed to the
unique acoustics.

The Babri mosque’s Tughluquid style integrated other indigenous design components and
techniques, such as air cooling systems disguised as Islamic architectural elements like
arches, vaults and domes. In the Babri Masjid a passive environmental control system
comprised the high ceiling, domes, and six large grille windows. The system helped keep
the interior cool by allowing natural ventilation as well as daylight.

Legend of the Babri Mosque’s miraculous well

The reported medicinal properties of the deep well in the central courtyard have been
featured in various news reports such as the BBC report of December 1989 and in various
newspapers. The earliest mention of the Babri water well was in a two line reference to
the Mosque in the Gazette of Faizabad District 1918 which says “There are no significant
historical buildings here, except for various Buddhist shrines. The Babri Mosque is an
ancient structure with a well which, both the Hindus and Mussalmans claim, has
miraculous properties.”

Ayodhya is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and the annual Ram festival is regularly attended
by over 500,000 people of both the Hindu and Muslim faiths, and many devotees came to
drink water from the well in the Babri Mosque's courtyard. It was believed drinking water
from this well could cure a range of illnesses. Hindu pilgrims also believed that the Babri
water well was the original well in the Ram Temple under the mosque. Ayodhya
Muslims believed that the well was a gift from God. Local women regularly brought their
new borns to drink from the reputedly curative water.

The 125-foot (40 m) deep well was situated in the south-eastern section of the large
rectangular courtyard of the Babri Mosque. There was a small Hindu shrine built in 1890
joining the well with a statue of Lord Rama. It was an artesian well and drew water from
a considerable distance below the water table. Eleven feet (3 m) in radius, the first 30 feet
(10 m) from ground level were bricked. It drew water from a reservoir trapped in a bed of
shale sand and gravel, which would explain the unusually cool temperature of the water.
The water contained almost no sodium, giving it a reputation of tasting ‘sweet.’
Accessing the well involved climbing onto a three foot (1 m) platform, where the well
was covered with planks of thick wood with an unhinged trapdoor. Water was drawn by
means of a bucket and long lengths of rope and due to its claimed ‘spiritual properties’
was used only for drinking. Hindus and Muslims in Ayodhya had a profound belief in the
miraculous properties of this cold and pure underground water, which was reinforced by
abundant local folklore.
History
Hindu account

When the Muslim emperor Babur came down from Ferghana in 1527, he defeated the
Hindu King of Chittodgad, Rana Sangrama Singh at Sikri, using cannon and artillery.
After this victory, Babur took over the region, leaving his general, Mir Baqi, in charge as
viceroy.

Mir Baqi built the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya naming it after Emperor Babur.[9] Although
there is no reference to the new mosque in Babur's diary, the Baburnama, the pages of the
relevant period are missing in the diary. The contemporary Tarikh-i-Babari records that
Babur's troops "demolished many Hindu temples at Chanderi"[10]

Palaeographic evidence of an older Hindu temple on the site emerged from an inscription
on a thick stone slab recovered from the debris of the demolished structure in 1992. Over
260 other artifacts were recovered on the day of demolition, and many point to being part
of the ancient temple. The inscription on the slab has 20 lines, 30 shlokas (verses), and is
composed in Sanskrit written in the Nagari script. The ‘Nagari Lipi’ script was prevalent
in the eleventh and twelfth century. The crucial part of the message as deciphered by a
team comprising epigraphists, Sanskrit scholars, historians and archaeologists including
Prof. A.M. Shastri, Dr. K.V. Ramesh, Dr. T.P. Verma, Prof. B.R. Grover, Dr. A.K. Sinha,
Dr. Sudha Malaiya, Dr. D.P. Dubey and Dr. G.C. Tripathi.

The first twenty verses are the praises of the king Govind Chandra Gharhwal (AD 1114
to 1154) and his dynasty. The twenty-first verse says the following; "For the salvation of
his soul the King, after paying his obeisance at the little feet of Vamana Avatar (the
incarnation of Vishnu as a midget Brahmana), went about constructing a wondrous
temple for Vishnu Hari (Shri Rama) with marvelous pillars and structure of stone
reaching the skies and culminating in a superb top with a massive sphere of gold and
projecting shafts in the sky - a temple so grand that no other King in the History of the
nation had ever built before."

It further states that this temple was built in the temple-city of Ayodhya.

In another reference, the Faizabad District Judge on a plaint filed by Mahant Raghubar
Das gave a judgment on 18 March, 1886. Though the plaint was dismissed, the judgment
brought out two relevant points:

"I found that Masjid built by Emperor Babur stands on the border of the town of
Ayodhya. It is most unfortunate that Masjid should have been built on land specially held
sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 358 years ago, it is too late now to
remedy the grievance. All that can be done is to maintain the parties in status quo. In
such a case as the present one any innovation would cause more harm and derangement
of order than benefit."
Jain account

According to Jain Samata Vahini, a social organization of the Jains, "the only structure
that could be found during excavation would be a sixth century Jain temple".

Sohan Mehta, the General Secretary of Jain Samata Vahini, claims that the demolished
disputed structure was actually built on the remnants of an ancient Jain temple, and that
the excavation by ASI, ordered by Allahabad High Court to settle the Babri Masjid-
Ramjanmabhoomi dispute, would prove it.

Mehta quoted writings of 18th century Jain monks stating Ayodhya was the place where
five Jain tirthankars, Rishabhdeo, Ajitnath, Abhinandannath, Sumatinath and Anantnath
stayed. The ancient city was among the five biggest centers of Jainism and Buddhism
prior to 1527.[11]

Muslim account

There is no historical record pointing to the destruction of even the existence of the
Hindu Temple at the site when Mir Baqi erected the Masjid in 1528. When Ram idols
were placed in the Mosque illegally on December 23, 1949, Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru wrote to UP chief minister G B Pant demanding the mischief to be undone because
"a dangerous example is being set there." The local administrator, Faizabad's deputy
commissioner K K Nayar dismissed Nehru's concerns. While he admitted that the
installation of the idols was "an illegal act", Nayar refused to remove them from the
mosque claiming that "the depth of feeling behind the movement ... should not be
underestimated." In the 2010 High Court verdict that gives two-third of the land to Hindu
Temple, thousands of pages of the verdict have been devoted to quotes from Hindu
scriptures, but little effort was made to examine the illegality of the 1949 act. According
to Manoj Mitta, "The mischief played with the idols, in a bid to convert a masjid into a
mandir, was central to the adjudication of the title suits." [12]

Muslims and other critics claim that the archeological reports, that are relied upon by
Hindu extremist groups like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) and Hindu Munnani to lay claim to the Babri Masjid site are politically
motivated. Critics point out that the "presence of animal bones throughout as well as of
the use of ‘surkhi' and lime mortar" that was found by ASI are all characteristic of
Muslim presence "that rule out the possibility of a Hindu temple having been there
beneath the mosque," but the report claimed otherwise on the basis of ‘pillar bases' was
"manifestly fraudulent" in its assertions since no pillars were found, and the alleged
existence of ‘pillar bases' has been debated by archaeologists[13].

British account

“After Babar had gained a footing in Hindustan by his victory at Panipat in 1526 and had
advanced to Agra, the defeated Afghan house of Lodhi still occupied the Central Doab,
Oudh, and the eastern districts of the present United Provinces. In 1527, Babar, on his
return from Central India, defeated his opponents in Southern Oudh near Kanauj, and
passed on through the Province as far as Ajodhya where he built a mosque in 1528, on
the site renowned as the birthplace of Rama. The Afghans remained in opposition after
the death of Babar in 1530, but were defeated near Lucknow in the following year.”
Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908 Vol XIX pp 279-280

Conflicts over the site

The first recorded incident of violence over the issue between Hindus and Muslims in
modern times took place in 1853 during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. A
Hindu sect called the Nirmohis claimed the structure, contending that the mosque stood
on the spot where a temple had been destroyed during Babar’s time. Violence erupted
from time to time over the issue in the next two years and the civil administration had to
step in, refusing permission to build a temple or to use it as a place of worship.

According to the District Gazetteer Faizabad 1905, "up to this time (1855), both the
Hindus and Muslims used to worship in the same building. But since the Mutiny (1857),
an outer enclosure has been put up in front of the Masjid and the Hindus forbidden access
to the inner yard, make the offerings on a platform (chabootra), which they have raised in
the outer one."

Efforts in 1883 to construct a temple on this chabootra were halted by the Deputy
Commissioner who prohibited it on January 19, 1885. Raghubir Das, a mahant, filed a
suit before the Faizabad Sub-Judge. Pandit Harikishan was seeking permission to
construct a temple on this chabootra measuring 17 ft. x 21 ft., but the suit was dismissed.
An appeal was filed before the Faizabad District Judge, Colonel J.E.A. Chambiar who,
after an inspection of spot on March 17, 1886, dismissed the appeal. A Second Appeal
was filed on May 25, 1886, before the Judicial Commissioner of Awadh, W. Young, who
also dismissed the appeal. With this, the first round of legal battles fought by the Hindus
came to an end.

During the "communal riots" of 1934, walls around the Masjid and one of the domes of
the Masjid were damaged. These were reconstructed by the British Government.

The mosque and its appurtenant land, a graveyard known as Ganj-e-Shaheedan

Qabristan, were registered as Waqf No. 26 Faizabad with the UP Sunni Central Board of
Waqfs (Muslim holy places) under the Act of 1936. The background of harassment of
Muslims during the period has been recorded in two reports by the waqf inspector
Mohammad Ibrahim, dated December 10 and 23, 1949, respectively to the secretary of
the Waqf Board.

The first report states “any Muslim going towards the Masjid is accosted and called
names, etc…. People there told me that there is a danger to the Masjid from the Hindus…
When the namazis (worshippers) leave, from the surrounding houses shoes and stones are
hurled towards them. Muslims, out of fear, do not utter a word. Lohia also visited
Ayodhya after Raghodas and gave a lecture…. Don’t harm the graves… The Bairagis
said Masjid is Janmabhoomi and so give it to us… I spent the night in Ayodhya and the
Bairagis are forcibly taking possession of the Masjid…..”

At midnight on December 22, 1949, when the police guards were asleep, statues of Rama
and Sita were quietly brought into the mosque and erected. This was reported by the
constable, Mata Prasad, the next morning and recorded at the Ayodhya police station.
The FIR lodged by Sub-Inspector Ram Dube, Police Station Ayodhya, on December 23,
1949 states: "A group of 50-60 persons had entered Babri Mosque after breaking the
compound gate lock of the mosque or through jumping across the walls... and established
therein an idol of Shri Bhagwan and painted Sita Ram, on the outer and inner walls with
geru (red loam)... Afterward, a crowd of 5-6 thousand persons gathered around and while
chanting bhajans and raising religious slogans tried to enter the mosque but were
deferred.” The following morning, a large Hindu crowd attempted to enter the mosque to
make offerings to the deities. The District Magistrate K.K. Nair has recorded that "The
crowd made a most determined attempt to force entry. The lock was broken and
policemen were rushed off their feet. All of us, officers and men, somehow pushed the
crowd back and held the gate. The sadhus recklessly hurled themselves against men and
arms and it was with great difficulty that we managed to hold the gate. The gate was
secured and locked with a powerful lock brought from outside and police force was
strengthened (5:00 pm)."

On hearing this news Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru directed UP Chief Minister
Govind Ballabh Pant, to see that the deities were removed. Under Pant's orders, Chief
Secretary Bhagwan Sahay and Inspector-General of Police V.N. Lahiri sent immediate
instructions to Faizabad to remove the deities. However, K.K. Nair feared that the Hindus
would retaliate and pleaded inability to carry out the orders.

In 1984, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) launched a massive movement for the
opening of the locks of the mosque, and in 1985 the Rajiv Gandhi government ordered
the locks on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya to be removed. Prior to
that date the only Hindu ceremonmy permitted was a Hindu priest performing a yearly
puja for the icons there. After the ruling, all Hindus were given access to what they
consider the birthplace of Rama, and the mosque gained some function as a Hindu
temple.[14]

Communal tension in the region worsened when the VHP received permission to perform
a shilanyas (stone-laying ceremony) at the disputed site before the national election in
November 1989. A senior BJP leader, LK Advani, started a Rath yatra, embarking on a
10,000 km journey starting from the south and heading towards Ayodhya.
Archaeological Survey of India report
Main article: Archaeology of Ayodhya

Archaeological excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1970, 1992

and 2003 in and around the disputed site have indicated a large Hindu complex existed on
the site.

In 2003, by the order of an Indian Court, The Archaeological Survey of India was asked
to conduct a more indepth study and an excavation to ascertain the type of structure that
was beneath the rubble.[15] The summary of the ASI report [16] indicated definite proof of a
temple under the mosque. In the words of ASI researchers, they discovered "distinctive
features associated with... temples of north India". The excavations yielded:

stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of a divine couple

“ and carved architectural features, including foliage patterns, amalaka,
kapotapali, doorjamb with semi-circular shrine pilaster, broke octagonal shaft
of black schist pillar, lotus motif, circular shrine having pranjala (watershute)
in the north and 50 pillar bases in association with a huge structure" [17] ”
Criticism

Critics strongly criticized the report saying that the report point out that the "presence of
animal bones throughout as well as of the use of ‘surkhi' and lime mortar" that was found
by ASI are all characteristic of Muslim presence "that rule out the possibility of a Hindu
temple having been there beneath the mosque," but the report claimed otherwise on the
basis of ‘pillar bases' was "manifestly fraudulent" in its assertions since no pillars were
found, and the alleged existence of ‘pillar bases' has been debated by archaeologists[13].
Critics also point out that ASI failed to mention any evidence of a temple in its interim
reports and only revealed it in the final report which was submitted during a time of
national tension, making the report highly suspect.[18]. This view was shared by many
Muslim religious groups including the Sunni Waqf Board and the All India Muslim
Personal Law Board. However, one of the judges that divided the area, Judge Agarwal,
noted that many of the critics displayed an "ostrich-like attitude" toward the facts and in
fact lacked any expertise on the subject.[19]

Examining the ASI's conclusion of a mandir (Hindu temple) under the structure, the VHP
and the RSS stepped up demands for Muslims to restore the three holiest North Indian
mandirs to Hindus.[17]
Demolition
Main article: Demolition of Babri Masjid

On 16 December 1992, the Liberhan Commission was set up by the Government of India
to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It has been the
longest running commission in India's history with 48 extensions granted by various
governments. The commission submitted its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on 30 June 2009, more than 16 years after the incident.[20]

Contents of the report were leaked to the news media in November 2009. The report
blamed the high-ranking members of the Indian government and Hindu nationalists for
the destruction of the mosque. Its contents caused uproar in the Indian parliament.

The Liberhan report has pieced together a sequence of events as they happened on
December 6, 1992, the day the Babri Masjid was demolished by Kar Sevaks.

On that Sunday morning, LK Advani and others met at Vinay Katiyar's residence. They
then proceeded to the disputed structure, the report says. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi
and Katiyar reached the puja platform where symbolic Kar Seva was to be performed,
and Advani and Joshi checked arrangements for the next 20 minutes. The two senior
leaders then moved 200 metre away to the Ram Katha Kunj. This was a building facing
the disputed structure where a dais had been erected for senior leaders.

At noon, a teenage Kar Sevak was "vaulted" on to the dome and that signaled the
breaking of the outer cordon. The report notes that at this time Advani, Joshi and Vijay
Raje Scindia made "feeble requests to the Kar Sevaks to come down... either in earnest or
for the media's benefit". No appeal was made to the Kar Sevaks not to enter the sanctum
sanctorum or not to demolish the structure. The report notes: "This selected act of the
leaders itself speaks of the hidden intentions of one and all being to accomplish
demolition of the disputed structure."

The report holds that the "icons of the movement present at the Ram Katha Kunj... could
just as easily have... prevented the demolition." [21]

Demolition planned in advance

In a 2005 book former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Joint Director Maloy Krishna Dhar
claimed that Babri Masjid demolition was planned 10 months in advance by top leaders
of RSS, BJP and VHP and raised questions over the way the then Prime Minister P V
Narasimha Rao, had handled the issue. Dhar claimed that he was directed to arrange the
coverage of a key meeting of the BJP/Sangh Parivar and that the meeting "proved beyond
doubt that they (RSS, BJP, VHP) had drawn up the blueprint of the Hindutva assault in
the coming months and choreographed the ‘pralaya nritya’ (dance of destruction) at
Ayodhya in December 1992... The RSS, BJP, VHP and the Bajrang Dal leaders present
in the meeting amply agreed to work in a well-orchestrated manner." Claiming that the
tapes of the meeting were personally handed over by him to his boss, he asserts that he
has no doubts that his boss had shared the contents with the Prime Minister (Rao) and the
Home Minister (S B Chavan). The author claimed that there was silent agreement that
Ayodhya offered "a unique opportunity to take the Hindutva wave to the peak for
deriving political benefit."[3]

Liberhan Commission findings

Main article: Liberhan Commission Findings

A 2009 report, authored by Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan, blamed 68 people for the
demolition of the mosque - mostly leaders from the BJP and a few bureaucrats. Among
those named in the report were AB Vajpayee, the former BJP prime minister, and LK
Advani, the party's then (2009) leader in parliament. Kalyan Singh, who was the Chief
Minister of Uttar Pradesh during the mosque’s demolition, has also come in for harsh
criticism in the report. He is accused of posting bureaucrats and police officers who
would stay silent during the mosque’s demolition in Ayodhya.[22] Former Education
Minister in NDA Government Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi have also been found culpable in
the demolition in the Liberhan Commissions' Report. Anju Gupta, an Indian police
officer appeared as a prosecution witness. She was in charge of Advani's security on the
day of the demolition and she revealed that Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi made
inflammatory speeches.[23]

In popular culture
In fiction, Lajja, a controversial 1993 novel in Bengali by Bangladeshi writer Taslima
Nasrin, has a story based in the days after the demolition. After its release, the author
received death threats in her home country and has been living in exile ever since.

The events that transpired in aftermath of the demolition and the riots are an important
part of the plot of the films Bombay (1995), Daivanamathil (2005), both the films won
the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration at the respective
National Film Awards; Naseem (1995), Striker (2010), and also mentioned in Slumdog
Millionaire (2008).
 Ayodhya dispute
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Ayodhya dispute (Hindi: अअअअअअअ अअअअअ, Urdu:

‫ )ایود ھیا ِوواد‬is a political, historical and socio-religious
debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city
of Ayodhya, Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. The
main issues revolve around access to a site
traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the
Hindu God Rama, the history and location of the
Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous
Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create
the mosque. The Babri Mosque was destroyed by
hardline Hindu activists during a political rally
which turned into a riot on December 6, 1992. A
subsequent land title case was lodged in the
Allahabad High Court, the verdict of which was
pronounced on September 30, 2010. In the
landmark hearing, the three judges of The
Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres
(1.12 ha) of Ayodhya land be divided into 3 parts,
with 1/3 going to construction of the Ram temple,
1/3 going to the Islamic Sunni Waqf Board and the
remaining 1/3 going to the Hindu religious
denomination Nirmohi Akhara. It is clearly said in
the court verdict that the disputed structure was
 constructed on the site of old structure after
demolition of the same. The Archaeological Survey
of India has proved that the structure was a massive
Hindu religious structure. [1] Religious background
At the center of the debate is the status of the land known as Ram Janmabhoomi, on
which the original Babri Mosque was built in 1528.

Ram Janmabhoomi

Main article: Ram Janmabhoomi

Ayodhya is revered by Hindus as the birthplace of the Maryaada Purushottam, i.e. ideal
person, Lord Rama, legendary King of Kosala, who is also worshiped by millions as an
avatar of Vishnu. The Skandh Puraan, an over 2000 year old work of reference for
ancient pilgrimage sites in India, narrates in detail the different temples in Ayodhya,
including the one commemorating the birthplace of Rama.

Ayodhyā

“ Mathurā Māyā
Kāsi Kāñchī
Avantikā I

”
Purī Dvārāvatī
chaiva saptaitā
moksadāyikāh II

—Garuḍa Purāṇa I XVI .14

Ayodhya is one of seven most holy places for Hindus in India whereas Varanasi is
considered as Holiest of the seven holy cities for Hindus.[2]

A Kṣetra is a sacred ground, a field of active power, a place where Moksha, i.e. final
release from cycle of rebirth,can be obtained. The Garuda Purana enumerates seven cities
as giver of Moksha, They are Ayodhya, Mathura, Māyā, Kāsi, Kāñchī, Avantikā and
Dvārāvatī.[3]
History of the Babri Mosque

A view of the Babri Mosque, pre-1992

Main article: Babri Mosque

When the Mughal invader Babur came down from Kabul in 1525, he first defeated
Ibrahim Lodi at the battle of Panipat and then the Rajput King of Chittorgarh, Rana
Sangram Singh at Khanwa, making pioneering use of cannon and light cavalry. After
these triumphs, Babur took over a substantial part of northern India.

One of his generals, Mir Baki Khan came to Ayodhya in 1528 and built the
"Janmasthan" i.e. "Birthplace" Mosque.[4] Mir Baki, after building the mosque, named it
Babri Masjid.[5] The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in Uttar Pradesh, a
state in India with some 31 million Muslims.[6]

Demolition of the Babri Mosque

Main article: Demolition of Babri Masjid

By the middle of the 20th century, Hindus in the area were claiming that the mosque had
not been used by Muslims since 1936, and according to a court ruling an idol of Rama
was placed inside the mosque in the intervening night of 22/23 December, 1949.[7] A
movement was launched in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP party) to reclaim
the site for Hindus who want to erect a temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ramlala) at
this spot.

On 6 December 1992, the structure was demolished by karsevaks,[8] 150,000 strong,

despite a commitment by the government to the Indian Supreme Court that the mosque
would not be harmed.[9][10] More than 2000 people were killed in the riots following the
demolition. Riots broke out in many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and
Hyderabad[citation needed]

On 16 December 1992, the Liberhan Commission was set up by the Government of India
to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of the Babri Mosque.[11] It was the
longest running commission in India's history with several extensions granted by various
governments. Atal Behari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani, senior leaders of the of the
BJP were held culpable by the report. Other senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and
then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and top brass of VHP like Giriraj Kishore
and Ashok Singhal were also held culpable. Other prominent political leaders indicted by
the commission include Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, former RSS leader K
Govindacharya, late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, former BJP leader Uma Bharti and BJP
leader Vijayraje Scindia.[12]

Many Muslim organizations have continued to express outrage at the destruction of the
disputed structure. In July 2005, Islamic terrorists attacked the makeshift temple at the
site of the destroyed mosque. In 2007, M. N. Gopal Das, the then head of the Ram
temple, received phone calls making threats against his life.[13]

Early historical surveys

In 1767, Jesuit priest Joseph Tieffenthaler recorded Hindus worshiping and celebrating
Ramanavami at the site of the mosque. In 1788, Tieffenthaler's French works were
published in Paris, the first to suggest that the Babri Mosque was on the birthplace of
Rama[citation needed], saying that "Emperor Aurangzeb got demolished the fortress called
Ramkot, and erected on the same place a Mahometan temple with three cuppolas"
reclaimed by Hindus through numerous wars after death of Aurangzeb in 1707 A.D like
they earlier fortified it during Jahangir's rule as Ramkot.

During the 19th century, the Hindus in Ayodhya were recorded as continuing a tradition
of worshiping Rama on the Ramkot hill. According to British sources, Hindus and
Muslims from the Faizabad area worshiped together in the Babri Mosque complex in the
19th century until about 1855. P. Carnegy wrote in 1870:

"It is said that up to that time, the Hindus and Mohamedans alike used to worship
in the mosque-temple. Since the British rule a railing has been put up to prevent
dispute, within which, in the mosque the Mohamedans pray, while outside the
fence the Hindus have raised a platform on which they make their offerings."[14]

This platform was outside the disputed structure but within its precincts.

In 1858, the Muazzin of the Babri Mosque said in a petition to the British government
that the courtyard had been used by Hindus for hundreds of years[citation needed].

The Mahant Ram case

In 1885, Mahant Raghubar Ram moved the courts for permission to erect a temple just
outside the Babri Mosque premises. Despite validating the claim of the petitioner, the
Faizabad District Judge dismissed the case, citing the passage of time.[15] On 18 March
1886, the judge passed an order in which he wrote:
I visited the land in dispute yesterday in the presence of all parties. I found that the
Masjid built by Emperor Babur stands on the border of Ayodhya, that is to say, to the
west and south it is clear of habitations. It is most unfortunate that a Masjid should have
been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356
years ago, it is too late now to agree with the grievances. (Court verdict by Col. F.E.A.
Chamier, District Judge, Faizabad (1886)[16]

Post-independence
Several later mosques were built in Faizabad district, in which the pilgrim city of
Ayodhya falls. Ayodhya itself has a small[17] Muslim population, though there are
substantial numbers of Muslims 7 km away at District Headquarters - Faizabad. Since
1948, by Indian Government order, Muslims were not permitted to be closer than 200
yards away to the site; the main gate remained locked, though Hindu pilgrims were
allowed to enter through a side door. The 1989 Allahabad High Court ordered the
opening of the main gate and restored the site in full to the Hindus. Hindu groups later
requested modifications to the Babri Mosque, and drew up plans for a new grand Temple
with Government permissions; riots between Hindu and Muslim groups took place as a
result. Since, then the matter is sub-judice and this political, historical and socio-religious
debate over the history and location of the Babri Mosque, is known as the Ayodhya
dispute.

Excavations

Before 2003, the standard view that an ancient Ram Janmabhoomi temple was
demolished and replaced with the Babri Mosque, was not supported by any
archaeological evidence. References such as the 1986 edition of the Encyclopædia
Britannica reported that "Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the
Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple".[18]

However, archaeological excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in

1970, 1992 and 2003 in and around the disputed site have clearly found the evidence
indicating that a large Hindu complex existed on the site.[19] In 2003, by the order of an
Indian Court, The Archaeological Survey of India was asked to conduct a more indepth
study and an excavation to ascertain the type of structure that was beneath the rubble.[20]
The summary of the ASI report [21] indicated definite proof of a temple under the mosque.
In the words of ASI researchers, they discovered "distinctive features associated with...
temples of north India". The excavations yielded:

stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of a divine couple

“ and carved architectural features, including foliage patterns, amalaka,
kapotapali, doorjamb with semi-circular shrine pilaster, broke octagonal shaft
of black schist pillar, lotus motif, circular shrine having pranjala (watershute)
in the north and 50 pillar bases in association with a huge structure [22] ”
Before the archaeological opinion was published, there were some differing viewpoints.
In his Communal History and Rama's Ayodhya, written prior to the ASI researches,
Professor Ram Sharan Sharma writes, "Ayodhya seems to have emerged as a place of
religious pilgrimage in medieval times. Although chapter 85 of the Vishnu Smriti lists as
many as fifty-two places of pilgrimage, including towns, lakes, rivers, mountains, etc., it
does not include Ayodhya in this list."[23] Sharma also notes that Tulsidas, who wrote the
Ramcharitmanas in 1574 at Ayodhya, does not mention it as a place of pilgrimage. This
suggests that there was no significant Hindu temple at the site of the Babri Mosque.,[23] or
that it had ceased to be one, after the mosque was built. After the demolition of the
mosque in 1992, Professor Ram Sharan Sharma along with Historians Suraj Bhan,
M.Athar Ali and Dwijendra Narayan Jha wrote the Historian's report to the nation saying
that the assumption that there was a temple at the disputed site was mistaken, and no
valid reason to destroy the mosque.[24]. The 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement came
down heavily on these "eminent" historians, with one of the judges remarking that he was
"surprised to see in the zeal of helping… the parties in whose favour they were
appearing, these witnesses went ahead… and wrote a totally new story"[25]

The title cases

In 1950, Gopal Singh Visharad filed a title suit with the Allahabad High Court seeking
injunction to offer 'puja' (worship) at the disputed site. A similar suit was filed shortly
after but later withdrawn by Paramhans Das of Ayodhya.[26] In 1959, the Nirmohi Akhara,
a Hindu religious institution,[27] filed a third title suit seeking direction to hand over the
charge of the disputed site, claiming to be its custodian. A fourth suit was filed by the
Muslim Central Board of Wakf for declaration and possession of the site. The Allahabad
high court bench began hearing the case in 2002, which was completed in 2010.
However, the bench withheld its verdict till September 24. After the Supreme Court
dismissed a plea to defer the high court verdict, the high court set September 30, 2010 as
the final date for pronouncing the judgement.[28][29]

On September 30, 2010, the High Court of Allahabad, the three-member bench
comprising justices SU Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and DV Sharma, ruled that the disputed
land be split into three parts. The site of the Ramlala idol would go to the party
representing Ram Lalla Virajman (the Ram deity), Nirmohi Akhara to get Sita Rasoi and
Ram Chabutara, and the Sunni Wakf Board to get the rest. The court also ruled that status
quo was to be maintained for three months.[30][31]

Reacting to the verdict, all the three parties, including the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf
board announced that they will appeal against the division of disputed land among three
parties in the Supreme Court of India .[32] All the three parties, however, conceded that
this judgment was an important step forward, towards resolution of a long pending
dispute.

Hindu Nationalism
The Ayodhya debate has grown along with a revival of Hindu Nationalism.
The issue of the disputed structure had remained inactive for four decades, until the mid-
1980s.[33] The Hindu Nationalist movement pressed for reclamation of three of its most
holy sites which it claimed had suffered at the hands of Islam, at Ayodhya, Mathura and
Varanasi. L K Advani, the leader of the BJP in his memoirs argued, "If Muslims are
entitled to an Islamic atmosphere in Mecca, and if Christians are entitled to a Christian
atmosphere in the Vatican, why is it wrong for the Hindus to expect a Hindu atmosphere
in Ayodhya?"

The legal case continues regarding the title deed of the land tract which is a government
controlled property.[34] While the Muslim parties want the Babri Mosque to be
reconstructed through a court order, the Hindu side wants a law in parliament to have a
temple constructed,[35] saying faith in the existence of Ram Janmabhoomi cannot be
decided in a court of law.

The situation regarding the Ram Janmabhoomi has been compared to the Temple Mount
controversies and claims in Israel by conservative blogger Daniel Pipes. In particular,
Pipes writes:

Ayodhya prompts several thoughts relating to the Temple Mount. It shows that the
Temple Mount dispute is far from unique. Muslims have habitually asserted the
supremacy of Islam through architecture, building on top of the monuments of other
faiths (as in Jerusalem and Ayodhya) or appropriating them (e.g. the Ka'ba in Mecca and
the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople).[36]

Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul has said that the destruction of Babri mosque was an act of
historical balancing[37] and the repatriation of the Ramjanmabhoomi was a "welcome sign
that Hindu pride was re-asserting itself."[38]

Timeline of the debate

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Please help by adding relevant internal links, or by improving the article's layout.
(October 2010)
Year Date Event[39]
The Babri Mosque was built in Ayodhya in 1528. Hindu groups claim
1528
it was built after demolishing a temple.
The first recorded communal clashes over the site date back to this
1853
year.
The colonial British administration put a fence around the site,
1859 denominating separate areas of worship for Hindus and Muslims.
And that is the way it stood for about 90 years.
In December of that year, idols were put inside the mosque. Both
1949 sides to the dispute filed civil suits. The government locked the gates,
saying the matter was sub-judice and declared the area “disputed”.
Case filed in Indian courts against forceful occupation of the Babri
1961
Mosque and placing of idols within it.
 The movement to build a temple at the site, which Hindus claimed
was the birthplace of Lord Ram, gathered momentum when Hindu
1984
groups formed a committee to spearhead the construction of a temple
at the Ramjanmabhoomi site.
A district judge ordered the gates of the mosque to be opened after
almost five decades and allowed Hindus to worship inside the
1986
“disputed structure.” A Babri Mosque Action Committee was formed
as Muslims protested the move to allow Hindu prayers at the site.
The clamour for building a Ram temple was growing. Fronted by
1989 organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, foundations of a
temple were laid on land adjacent to the "disputed structure."
The then BJP president Lal Krishna Advani took out a cross-country
rathyatra to garner support for the move to build a Ram temple at the
site. VHP volunteers partially failed. Many were gunned down by the
1990
police on orders of the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam
Sing Yadav, when they gathered in Ayodhya as participants of the
Rath-Yatra and their bodies were thrown in the river Saryu.
Riding high on the success of Advani's rathyatra, and annoyance at
the previous regime's killings of the Kar Sevaks, the BJP became
1991
India's primary opposition party in Parliament and came to power in
Uttar Pradesh.
The movement for building a temple gathered further momentum
1991 with Karsevaks or Hindu volunteers pouring into Ayodhya. Bricks
were sent from across India.
December The Babri Mosque was demolished by Karsevaks. Communal riots
1992
6 across India followed.
Ten days after the demolition, the Congress government at the
December
1992 Centre, headed by PV Narasimha Rao, set up a commission of inquiry
16
under Justice Liberhan.
Three months after being constituted, the Liberhan Commission
1993 began investigations into who and what led to the demolition of the
Babri Mosque.
Tensions rose on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque as
2001
the VHP reaffirmed its resolve to build a temple at the site.
At least 58 people were killed in Godhra, Gujarat, in an attack on a
February train believed to be carrying Hindu volunteers from Ayodhya. Riots
2002
27 followed in the state and over 3000 people were unofficially reported
to have died in these.
The court ordered a survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram
2003 existed on the site. In August, the survey presented evidence of a
temple under the mosque. Muslim groups disputed the findings.
A court ruled that seven Hindu leaders, including some prominent
2003 September BJP leaders, should stand trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri
Mosque.
2004 November An Uttar Pradesh court ruled that an earlier order which exonerated
 LK Advani for his role in the destruction of the mosque should be
reviewed.
The Supreme Court refused to admit a review petition on the
2007
Ayodhya dispute.
The Liberhan Commission, which was instituted ten days after the
demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992, submitted its report on June
2009
30 - almost 17 years after it began its inquiry. Its contents were not
made public.
The Allahabad High Court pronounces its verdict on four title suits
September relating to the Ayodhya dispute on September 30, 2010. Ayodhya
2010
30 land to be divided into 3 parts. 1/3 goes to Ram Lalla,1/3 to Sunni
Wakf Board, 1/3 goes to Nirmohi Akhara.[29]

History of Ayodhya Temple-Masjid Dispute

Thursday, September 23, 2010,
The decades long Ayodhya dispute revolves around the claim over the land in Ayodhya,
which is considered scared by Hindus as it is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram
while Muslims seek to defend the Babri Masji at the site.

Land in question:

Hindus believe that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of the avatars of Lord
Vishnu. The land is, therefore, considered sacred and befitting the profile of a holy
pilgrimage spot.

The communal tension over the land took root in the construction of the Babri Masji, by
Muslim emperor Babur, who in 1527 defeated the Hindu King of Chittorgarh, Rana
Sangram Singh at Fatehpur Sikri.

The king left his general, Mir Banki as the Viceroy of the region. Mir Banki, who
enforced Mughal rule over the population, came to Ayodhya in 1528 and built the
Mosque.

There are claims that when the Mosque built, the Ram temple at Ayodhya was either
demolished or modified largely.

Over the years, Hindus have sought to reclaim the 'Ram Janmabhoomi' while Muslims
have sought to defend the Babri Masjid.

Growth of dispute over the years

According to literature dating back to 1987, before the 1940s the mosque was called
Masjid-i Janmasthan ('mosque on birthplace') by Indian Muslims

1947 - A Government order prohibited Muslims from being around the site (at least 200
yards). The main gate was locked. However, Hindu pilgrims allowed to enter through a
side door.

1984 - The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) started a campaign to reclaim the site for
Hindus so that a temple dedicated to the infant Ram (Ramlala) could be erected.

1989 - Allahabad High Court passed an order that the main gates should be opened up
and restored the site to Hindus for eternity.

But the communal discord re-erupted when the Hindus intented to make modifications of
the Islamic style structure built by General Mir Banki.

When they inaugurated the proposed new grand Temple with Government permissions,
unrest erupted across India as the Muslim community was against this.

This is when Government moved the court, turning the dispute sub-judice

1992 - The dispute took a rather ugly turn on Dec 6, 1992 when the Babri Masjid was
demolished during a political rally. This led to riots in which over 2000 were killed.

Ten days after the Babri Masjid demolition, the Liberhan commission was set up to probe
the circumstances that led to the demolition.

2003 - On the order of the High Court, the the Archaeological Survey of India carried out
excavation at the disputed site of Rama Janmabhumi - Babri Masjid from 12 Mar, 2003
to 7 Aug, 2003. The study reportedly found evidences of an ancient temple.

A 574-page report with maps, drawings as well as opinions was presented before the
Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court in Aug 2003.

Based on the archaeological evidence the the ASI report noted that the remains had
distinctive features found associated with the temples of north India and said that there
was sufficient proof of existence of a massive and monumental structure having a
minimum dimension of 50x30 metres in north-south and east-west directions respectively
just below the disputed structure.

2005 - On July 5, 2005, five terrorists attacked the site of the makeshift Ramlalla temple,
in Ayodhya.

All the five terrorists were killed in the ensuing gunfight with the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF), guarding the area. The attack claimed life of one civilian, who died in a
grenade blast that the terrorists triggered to breach a cordon wall.

2009 - In Nov 2009, some of the findings of the Liberhan commission was leaked to the
media. These leaked reports indicted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders like LK
Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
Read: Vajpayee, Advani indicted for Babri demolition

2010 - On Sep 24, 2010, the Allahabad High Court was slated to give its verdict on the
Ayodhya title suit on ownership of the disputed land. On the eve of the judgement, the
Supreme Court deferred the verdict by a week on a deferment plea and scheduled hearing
of the postponement petition on Tuesday, Sep 28.

Read: SC stays Ayodhya verdict; to hear deferment plea on Sep 28

Some important observations/ chronicles prior to Indian independence:

As early as 1767, Joseph Tieffenthaler, a Jesuit priest, recorded in his French works that
were Hindus worshipping and celebrating Ramanavami at the site of the mosque. In
1788, he recorded that Emperor Aurangzeb demolished the fortress called Ramkot to
establish a Mahometan temple.

Even till 19th century, there have been chronicles of Hindus worshipping Ram at the
Ramkot hill.

P Carnegy wrote in 'A Historical Sketch of Tehsil Fyzabad', 1870, "It is said that up to
that time (referring to the the Hindu-Muslim clashes in the 1850), the Hindus and
Mohamedans alike used to worship in the mosque-temple.
"Since the British rule a railing has been put up to prevent dispute, within which, in the
mosque the Mohamedans pray, while outside the fence the Hindus have raised a platform
on which they make their offerings."
While passing an order over the issue in March 1886, the Faizabad District Judge, Col F
E A Chamier, observed:
"I visited the land in dispute yesterday in the presence of all parties. I found that the
Masjid built by Emperor Babar stands on the border of Ayodhya, that is to say, to the
west and south it is clear of habitations. It is most unfortunate that a Masjid should have
been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356
years ago, it is too late now to agree with the grievances."

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