Ayodhya - Ayodhya Debate

Ayodhya Debate

Ayodhya dispute
Demolition of Babri Masjid
Babri Masjid
Ram Janmabhoomi
Archaeology
2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack
Liberhan Commission
People and organizations
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
L. K. Advani
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Murli Manohar Joshi
Kalyan Singh
AIBMAC
Babur
Bharatiya Janata Party
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha
Sunni Wakf Board
Koenraad Elst
Nirmohi Akhara

The centre of the Ayodhya debate concerns the Babri Mosque, which was alleged to have been built on the foundations of a Ram Janmabhoomi temple. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, was the namesake for the mosque. This temple was believed to be the actual birthplace of Lord SriRama. The mosque was destroyed when a right wing Hindu nationalist rally developed into a riot involving a mob of over 150,000 people in 1992. A title suit on the disputed site was heard on 30 September 2010, in which it was established that the disputed land was indeed the birthplace of Lord Ram on basis of popular belief of Hindus. It was also decided to divide the disputed land into three separate pieces: one each for Hindus, Muslims and the Nirmohi Akhara. The status quo would be maintained for three months as per the judgement.

Before 2003, it was not proven that the original Hindu temple was demolished or dramatically modified on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Babur and the mosque was built in its place. A movement was launched in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP party to reclaim the site for Hindus who wanted to erect a temple dedicated to the infant SriRama (Ramlala), at this spot. Many Muslim organisations have continued to express outrage at the destruction of the disputed structure. There were several later mosques constructed in Faizabad district in which pilgrim city of Ayodhya falls. Due to long isolation, Ayodhya has almost negligible Muslim population though there are substantial Muslims 7 km away at District Headquarters – Faizabad. The Babri Mosque at Ayodhya became famous due to the importance of the disputed site where Hindus have been offering Pujas to Lord Ramlala from even before 1947 independence. Since, 1948 Indian Government order, no one is permitted to be near the site for at least 200 yards and the main gate has been locked in this effect. However Hindu pilgrims have been entering through a side door to offer Puja. In 1989 Allahabad High Court order opened the locks of the main gate and restored the site for use. However, when Hindus wanted modifications of the dilapidated Islamic style structure built by General Mir Banki and did Shilanyas (inauguration) of a proposed new grand Temple with Government permissions, there were unrests in many parts of India regarding the disputed structure and Government moved court. Since, then the matter is sub-judiced and this political, historical and socio-religious debate over the history and location of the Babri Mosque, is known as the Ayodhya Debate. In 2003, on court orders Archeological Survey of India dug the spot and found a previous ancient temple that was demolished or modified to create the later Mosque under Babur.

References such as the 1986 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica reported that "SriRama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Mughal emperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple". According to the Hindu view, the ancient temple could have been destroyed on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur. This view has been supported by findings of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out an excavation in Ayodhya.

The latest archaeological evidence comes from examination of the site after the destruction of the Babri Mosque. The Archaeological Survey of India under BB Lal, although initially published as finding no significant structures as these reports were based on inconclusive facts and were mere a media leak, subsequently put forward evidence of a pre-existing temple predating the mosque by hundreds of years as its final report.

Claims have been made that worship took place on a platform called the "Ram Chabutara" prior to Independence. According to British sources, Hindus and Muslims used to worship together in the Disputed Structure 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. —

This platform was outside the disputed structure but within its precincts. Hindu protagonists say that they have been demanding the return of the site for centuries, and cite accounts from several western travellers to India during the Mughal rule in India.

At present, there is a makeshift Ram mandir (temple) at Ram Janmabhoomi with a Ram Lalla deity. The deity was gifted by Chandresh Pandey of Jaipur Pandey Idol Museum, depicting SriRama as a child with a benign smile is in a sitting posture over a blooming lotus. The 27-inch-high (690 mm) deity is carved in white marble from the mines of Makrana in Rajasthan, is laced with gold. The palanquin is made of seasoned Rosewood brought from forest in Karnataka.