Ayodhya, as per the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, is the birthplace of Lord Rama, making it

one of the most sacred cities for Hindus. It is revered as one of the Sapta Puri. In Hinduism,
Sapta Puri refers to the seven holy cities believed to be the sites of spiritual enlightenment
and salvation. These cities are Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Ujjain, and
Dwarka. Each city is associated with various myths, deities, and religious significance,
representing different aspects of Hindu spiritual and cultural heritage.

The grandeur of Ayodhya which is portrayed as a prosperous and magnificent city was the
capital of the Kosala Kingdom. It was ruled by King Dasharatha, Lord Rama's father.
Described as a city of unparalleled splendour and beauty. Ayodhya's significance traces back
to the Vedic period and extends beyond religion to culture and history. It was a center of
dharma meaning righteousness and was considered an epitome of ideal governance, often
referred to as 'Ram Rajya' (the rule of Rama), symbolizing peace, prosperity, and justice. This
period is still idealized in Hindu culture for its moral and social harmony.

The Ram mandir and the Babri Masjid has been in the centre of discussion around the fact
that the Babri Masjid was constructed after the demolition of Hindu Temple which was
believed to be the abode of ram. There has been several discussions of the era when Babri
Masjid was constructed, but the date of construction of the Masjid is deemed to be
uncertain. Let’s dive into the history of the events.

16th Century: It is believed that the Babri Masjid was built by Mir Baqi, commander of the
famous Mughal emperor Babur. Some accounts suggest that it was built on the site of a
temple after he commanded his forces to destroy the temple. The inscriptions on the Babri
Masjid premises found in the 20th century suggest the uncertainity in the date of
construction of the Babri Masjid. There are no records of the mosque from this period.
According to Babur nama – which is famously called the Chronicles of Babur does not
mention either the mosque or the destruction of a temple. The Ramcharitamanas by Tulsidas
believed to be written in the year 1574 and Ain-i Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl ebn Mubarak believed
to be written in the year 1598 made no mention of a mosque either.

17th Century: William Finch, the English traveller who visited Ayodhya around 1611, wrote
about the "ruins of the Rama chand castle and houses" where Hindus believed the great God
used to live. He found pandas (Brahmin priests) in the ruins of the fort, recording the names
of pilgrims, but again - there was no mention of a mosque

18th Century: The earliest record of a mosque at the site comes from Jai Singh II – a Rajput
noble in the Mughal court who purchased land and established a Jaisinghpura in the area
surrounding the mosque in 1717. The documents of Jai Singh preserved in the Kapad-Dwar
collection in the City Palace Museum of Jaipur, include a sketch map of the Babri Masjid site.
The map shows an open court yard and a built structure with three temple spires (sikharas)
resembling today's Babri Masjid with three domes. The courtyard is labelled janmasthan and
shows a Ram chabutra. The central bay of the built structure is labelled chhathi, which also
denotes birthplace.

The European Jesuit missionary Joseph Tiefenthaler, who lived and worked in India for 38
years (1743–1785) and wrote numerous works about India, visited Ayodhya in
1767. Tiefenthaler was well-versed in Persian and Sanskrit, having written a Sanskrit–Persian
dictionary, and other works in Persian. Evidently he did not find an inscription on the walls of
the mosque stating that it was constructed under Babur's orders. He "emphatically attributed
it to Aurangzeb. His work Descriptio Indiae (in Latin) into French, published in 1788.
According to this account, Aurangzeb (1658–1707) had demolished the Ramkot fortress,
including the house that was considered as the birthplace of Rama by Hindus. A mosque
with three domes was constructed in its place which proves that originally there was a
temple which was demolished to construct the mosque.

Since then, the Babri masjid had been a focal point of religious conflicts between Hindus &
Muslims.

19th Century:

In 1885, Mahant Raghubir Das filed a plea in the Faizabad district court seeking permission
to construct a canopy outside the disputed structure of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. This plea
was one of the earliest legal attempts to alter or add to the site and marked an important
moment in the long history of legal disputes over the area. The court, however, rejected the
plea. This event is significant as it represents the initiation of the formal legal conflicts over
the Babri Masjid site.

20th Century:

In 1949, idols of Lord Rama (referred to as Ram Lalla) were placed under the central dome of
the Babri Masjid, marking a critical turn in the Ayodhya dispute. This event led to the site
becoming a focal point of religious and communal tensions, as Hindus began to worship at
the site, claiming it as the birthplace of Lord Rama. The placement of the idols effectively
converted the mosque into a de facto temple, leading to legal battles and increasing
contention between Hindu and Muslim communities.

Then comes the most significant event of 1978, when the Archaeological Excavations by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) indicated the presence of a pre-existing temple beneath
the Babri Masjid. Since then there has been increasing number of legal suit filed to claim the
possession of the site. In 1989, the Allahabad High Court ordered the status quo regarding
the disputed structure of Babri Masjid and Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. This meant that
no further changes could be made to the site, preserving it as it was until a final legal
resolution was reached. The order was a significant judicial intervention aimed at preventing
further escalation and alteration of the site amid rising communal tensions.
In 1992, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by a large group of Hindu activists.
This event led to widespread riots and significant inter-communal violence across India,
marking a pivotal moment in the country's history. In 1993, the Indian government passed
the 'Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act' to acquire land in and around the Babri
Masjid site.

21st Century:
In 2002, the Allahabad High Court began hearings to determine the ownership of the
disputed site in Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid and Ram Janmabhoomi are located. The
Supreme court prohibits religious activity on the acquired land. Later there were several
hearing of the civil appeals and in 2019, the Supreme court of India granted the entire
disputed land to deity Ram Lalla. In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducts 'Bhumi
Pujan' for initiation of temple construction. And in 2024, the Ram Mandir stands completed
and is an expansive 110-acre complex, featuring a grand temple with intricate religious
theming and a sanctum sanctorum featuring several religious themes on its walls.

The struggle for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya comes to a successful end aiming to reflect the
deep cultural and religious significance for Hindus and the entire Nation.

JAI SHRI RAM!