Hyderabad: The whole world is eagerly awaiting the historic consecration of the newly-built Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Tumultuous events have taken place all through history leading up to the demolition of the disputed structure and the construction of a grand temple in the birthplace of Prince Ram.
It was in 1526 that Babar invaded India and defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of Panipat which marked the beginning of the Mughal empire. One of his generals began the conquest of northeast India when he built a huge mosque in Ayodhya in 1528 and named it Babri-Masjid in a tribute to Babar. It also had a provision for Hindus to worship outside the mosque but inside its compound.
Here is the chronology of events that will culminate in the inauguration of Ayodhya Ram Temple in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (January 22, 2024).
1528: The controversial construction of a mosque at the disputed site was ordered by Mughal Emperor Babur's commander Mir Baqi. The Hindu community claimed that this place was the birthplace of Lord Rama and that there was an ancient temple at this site. The Hindus asserted that the spot beneath one of the domes of the mosque housed Lord Rama's birthplace.
1529: Babri Mosque constructed by Mir Baqi.
1885: Legal dispute begins. Mahant Raghubir Das files the first suit in the matter, seeking to build a temple on land adjoining the mosque. The Faizabad District Magistrate (DM) refuses permission. Next, Mahant Raghubir Das files a title suit in Faizabad Court against the Secretary of State for India, seeking permission to build a temple on the chabutra (courtyard) of the Babri mosque. Faizabad Court rejects his plea.
1949: On the night of December 22nd, a Ram idol appears inside the mosque. Hindus see the appearance of the Idol as a divine revelation, however many argue that the idol was smuggled inside at night. Hindus start offering prayers. The Government declares the site a “contested area” and locks the entrance.
1950: Hindu sides file suits. Two suits are filed in Faizabad Court by Gopal SimlaViharad and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das, seeking permission to conduct Hindu pujas to Ram Lalla. The Court granted the parties permission to conduct pujas. The Court orders the inner courtyard gates to remain locked.
1959: Third Hindu suit filed. Nirmohi Akhara files a third suit, seeking possession of the land.
1961: Muslim suit filed. UP Sunni Wakf Board files a suit seeking possession of Babri Mosque site. They also demand the removal of Ram idols from Babri Masjid.
1984: Ram Janmbhoomi Movement commences. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) constitutes a group to start the Ram Janmbhoomi Movement. BJP leader LK Advani is made the leader of the campaign.
1986 (February 1): Inner Gate of Babri Mosque opened. A third party lawyer UC Pandey appeals to the Faizabad Sessions Court for the gates to be unlocked on the ground that the Faizabad district administration, and not court, had ordered its closure.
1989 (November 9): Shilanayas performed. The then PM Rajiv Gandhi allows the VHP to perform Shilanayas (laying of foundation stone) near the disputed area.
1989: All title suits shifted to Allahabad High Court. Another suit in the name of Ram Lalla Virajman was filed in the High Court, naming the parties in the Nirmohi Akhara (1959) and Sunni Waqf Board (1961) suits as defendants.
1990 (September 25): LK Advani launches Rath Yatra from Somnath (Gujarat) to Ayodhya (UP) to garner support for the temple movement. Communal riots break out.
1992 (December 6): Babri Masjid demolished by a violent mob of Karsevaks. The Karsevaks leave behind a makeshift temple in its place.
1992 (Dec 16): Liberhan Commission formed. Ten days after the mosque was demolished, the then PM forms a committee led by retired High Court Justice M. S. Liberhan, to look into circumstances leading to the demolition of the Babri Mosque and the communal riots. The Commission was originally mandated to submit its report within three months of its formation.
1993 (Jan 7): State acquires Ayodhya land. The then Narsimha Rao Government issues an ordinance acquiring 67.7 acres of land (site and adjoining areas). Later it was passed as a law – Acquisition of Certain Areas at Ayodhya Act, 1993 - to facilitate the acquisition of land by the Central government.
1993 (Apr 3): ‘Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act’ passed for acquisition of land by Centre in the disputed area. Various writ petitions, including one by Ismail Faruqui, filed in Allahabad HC challenging various aspects of the Act. The Supreme Court, exercising its jurisdiction under Article 139A, transferred the writ petitions, which were pending in the High Court.
1994: Ismail Faruqui Judgment. The SC by a majority of 3:2 upheld the constitutionality of Acquisition of Certain Areas at Ayodhya Act. The majority judgment by former CJI J.S. Verma reasoned that every religious immovable property is liable to be acquired. The SC adjudged that offering namaz at mosque was not integral to Islam unless that mosque had any particular significance in Islam. The judgment has been criticized for regarding the mosque as a non-essential place of worship.
2002 (April): Ayodhya Title Dispute case begins. The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court begins hearing Ayodhya Title Dispute.
2003 (Mar-Aug): Archaeological Survey of India begins survey and excavates the land underneath the disputed site under the directions of the Allahabad High Court. It claims to have found remnants of a 10th century Hindu Temple. Muslims question the ASI report.
2009 (Jun 30): After a delay of 17 years, the Librehan Commission submits its report to the then Prime Minister, though its contents are not made public.
2010 (Sep 30): Allahabad HC splits land in three ways. The High Court delivers its judgment, dividing the land between three parties: one third for the Sunni Wakf Board, one third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one third to Ram Lalla Virajman. The Judgment of the Lucknow Bench of the HC on September 30, 2010, divided the disputed land in Ayodhya in 2:1 ratio among the Muslim and Hindu litigants. The HC allotted the dome of the demolished Babri Masjid, under which the makeshift temple currently stands, to the Hindus. The structure was demolished by Karsevaks in 1992. The nearby Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi also went to the Nirmohi Akhara. The one-third share of the Sunni Wakf Board comprises the outer courtyard of the disputed land.
May, 2011: Supreme Court stays Allahabad High Court ruling. The SC admits a batch of petitions filed by all parties. A Division Bench of Aftam Alam and R.M. Lodha term the High Court Judgment as “strange”. RM Lodha observes “a new dimension has been given by the High Court as the decree of partition was not sought by the parties. It was not prayed for by anyone. It has to be stayed. It’s a strange order. How can a decree for partition be passed when none of the parties had prayed for it?”
Mar 21, 2017: Former Chief Justice of India Sri. Khehar suggests an out of court settlement among all parties.
Aug 11, 2017: A 3 judge bench of SC starts hearing the matter. The 3 judge bench of SC comprising Dipak Misra CJI, Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer JJ began hearing the appeal.
Feb–Jul, 2018: The petitioners argue that the SC ought to refer the 1994 Ismail Faruqui judgment to a 7-judge Bench for reconsideration.
July 20, 2018: The SC reserves judgment on the question of referring the appeal to a larger Bench
Sep 2, 2018: SC refuses to form a larger Bench. The 3 judge bench in a split of 2:1 verdict held that the Ismail Faruqui judgment of 1994 does not require reconsideration by a larger bench.
Jan 8, 2019: CJI Ranjan Gogoi forms a 5 judge Bench. The then CJI Ranjan Gogoi used his administrative powers to list the matter before a 5 judge Constitution Bench, overturning the September 2018 judgment.
Mar 8, 2019: Supreme Court orders mediation. After two days of hearings, the Constitution Bench orders court-monitored mediation, despite the objection of some key parties. The mediation is set to end in mid-May 2019.
Dec 12, 2019: Supreme Court dismisses a batch of petitions seeking review of its Ayodhya land dispute case verdict after finding no merit.
Feb 5, 2020: The Union Cabinet approves the setting up of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust to monitor the construction of the Ram temple at the site. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha.
Feb 24, 2020: Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board accepts the five acres allotted to it by the state government for building a mosque in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil of Ayodhya.
Mar 25, 2020: After 28 years, the idols of Ram Lalla were shifted from the tent to a fiber temple, and on August 5, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the temple took place.
Aug 5, 2020: PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone of the proposed Ram temple at Ayodhya. Trust says temple will be ready in six months or a year.
Oct 25, 2023: The Ram Janmabhoomi Trust invited PM Modi to inaugurate Ram Mandir.
Jan 22, 2024: Apart from the Prime Minister, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel and RSS Sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat will be present in the sanctum sanctorum, overseeing the rituals. The 7,000 invitees to the pran prathisthan (consecration ceremony) include most political party chiefs, religious leaders, seers, celebrities and karsevaks.
Jan 22, 2024: Inauguration of Ram Mandir. As of date, the first phase of the temple construction has been completed. This comprises the garbhagriha where a 51-inch idol depicting a 5-year-old ‘Ram Lalla’ designed by Karnataka-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj will be installed and consecrated on January 22, 2024. The second phase of the temple, which includes construction of the ground floor and two storeys encompassing five mandapas, will be done by December 2024. Idols of Goddess Sita, Hanuman and Lakshman will be placed on the first floor of the temple.
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