Ram Janmabhoomi

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Ram Janmabhoomi (Hindi/Devanagiri: राम जन्मभूमि) is the "Birthplace of Rama." Rama is a major Mythological figure in Indian history and the Hindu religion where he is described as an avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism. The exact location of Rama's birth is not stated with any specific accuracy by the Hindu texts, but the term popularly refers to a tract of land in the North Indian city of Ayodhya. From 1528 to 1992 this was the site of the Babri Mosque which was surrounded on all sides by Sita Rasoi (Lord Rama's wife Sita Devi's Kitchen - actually a Temple and other Temples of Hanuman, etc) and the disputed structure sharing walls with Sita and Hanuman Mandir was destroyed when a political rally developed into a riot involving 150,000 people. 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 want to erect a temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ramlala), at this spot. Many Muslim organizations have continued to express outrage at the destruction of the disputed structure and carried out the 2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya along with strong opposition to building of the proposed new temple even threatening the Head of current Ram Temple (at same spot since 1992).[1] There were several later mosques in Faizabad district in which pilgrim city of Ayodhya falls. But, Ayodhya has almost negligible[2] Muslim population though there are substantial Muslims 7 kms away at District Headquarters - Faizabad. The Babri Mosque at Ayodhya where Muslims never offered Namaz became famous due to the importance of the disputed site where Hindus have been offering Pujas in to Lord Ramlala from even before 1947 independence. Since, 1948 Indian Government order Muslims were not even permitted to be near the site for atleast 200 yards but locked the main gate and allowed Hindu pilgrims to enter through a side door. Also, the 1989 Allahabad High Court order opened the locks of the main gate and restored the site for eternity to the Hindus. However, when Hindus wanted modifications of the dilapidated Islamic style structure built by General Mir Banki on orders of Mughal invader Babur from Uzbekistan (Farghana town) and did Shilanyas (inauguration) of a proposed new grand Temple with Government permissions, there were Muslim unrests in many parts of India and Government moved court. 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 Debate. Recently 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.[3]

Ram Janmabhoomi refers to a tract of land in the North Indian city of Ayodhya which is believed by many Hindus to be the birthplace of the King Ram. The name Ram Janmabhoomi means "birthplace of Ram." Till December 6 1992, there physically existed a historic mosque called as Babri Masjid on this spot which was demolished by Hindu fundamentalist activists. A movement was launched in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) eventually leading to the destruction of the Babri Masjid which stood here. The VHP wants to erect a temple dedicated to Ram Lala (infant Ram) at this spot.

It was commonly believed by Hindus until about 1990 that an ancient Ram Janmabhoomi temple was demolished and replaced with the Babri Mosque. The Encyclopædia Britannica of 1986 reported that "Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Moghul emperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple".[4] According to the Hindu view, the ancient temple could have been destroyed on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur. This view is challenged by Muslims, Indian secular, Marxist [5] and mainstream Indian historians since the early 1990s.


Wikipedia bias and censorship[edit]

Babri Masjid site[edit]

File:Ayodhya disputed site map.png
Ayodhya disputed site map

The Ramayana, a Hindu epic whose earliest portions date back to 1st millennium BCE, states that the capital of Rama was Ayodhya.[6] According to the local Hindu belief, the site of the now-demolished Babri Mosque in Ayodhya is the exact birthplace of Rama. The Babri mosque is believed to have been constructed during 1528-29 by a certain 'Mir Baqi' (possibly Baqi Tashqandi), who was a commander of the Mughal emperor Babur (r.1526–1530).[7] However, the historical evidence for these beliefs is scant.[8]

In 1611, an English traveller William Finch visited Ayodhya and recorded the "ruins of the Ranichand [Ramachand] castle and houses". He made no mention of a mosque.[9] In 1634, Thomas Herbert described a "pretty old castle of Ranichand [Ramachand]" which he described as an antique monument that was "especially memorable".[10] However, by 1672, the appearance of a mosque at the site can be inferred because Lal Das's Awadh-Vilasa describes the location of birthplace without mentioning a temple or "castle".[11] In 1717, the Moghul Rajput noble Jai Singh II purchased land surrounding the site and his documents show a mosque.[12] The Jesuit missionary Joseph Tiefenthaler, who visited the site between 1766-1771, wrote that either Aurangazeb (r.1658–1707) or Babur had demolished the Ramkot fortress, including the house that was considered as the birthplace of Rama by Hindus. He further stated that a mosque was constructed in its place, but the Hindus continued to offer prayers at a mud platform that marked the birthplace of Rama.[13] In 1810, Francis Buchanan visited the site, and stated that the structure destroyed was a temple dedicated to Rama, not a house. Many subsequent sources state that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a temple.[13]

Police officer and writer Kishore Kunal states that all the claimed inscriptions on the Babri mosque were fake. They were affixed sometime around 1813 (almost 285 years after the supposed construction of the mosque in 1528 AD), and repeatedly replaced.[14]

Before the 1940s, the Babri Masjid was called Masjid-i-Janmasthan ("mosque of the birthplace"), including in the official documents such as revenue records.[15] Shykh Muhammad Azamat Ali Kakorawi Nami (1811–1893) wrote: "the Babari mosque was built up in 923(?) A.H. under the patronage of Sayyid Musa Ashiqan in the Janmasthan temple in Faizabad-Avadh, which was a great place of (worship) and capital of Rama’s father"[16]

H.R. Neville, the editor of the Faizabad District Gazetteer (1870), wrote that the Janmasthan temple "was destroyed by Babur and replaced by a mosque." He also wrote "The Janmasthan was in Ramkot and marked the birthplace of Rama. In 1528 A.D. Babur came to Ayodhya and halted here for a week. He destroyed the ancient temple and on its site built a mosque, still known as Babur's mosque. The materials of the old structure [i.e., the temple] were largely employed, and many of the columns were in good preservation."[17][18]

Proposed Ram Janmabhoomi temple[edit]

In 1853, a group of armed Hindu ascetics belonging to the Nirmohi Akhara occupied the Babri Masjid site, and claimed ownership of the structure.[19] Subsequently, the civil administration stepped in, and in 1855, divided the mosque premises into two parts: one for Hindus, and the other for Muslims.[20]

In 1883, the Hindus launched an effort to construct a temple on the platform. When the administration denied them the permission to do this, they took the matter to court. In 1885, the Hindu Sub Judge Pandit Hari Kishan Singh dismissed the lawsuit. Subsequently, the higher courts also dismissed the lawsuit in 1886, in favour of status quo. In December 1949, some Hindus placed idols of Rama and Sita in the mosque, and claimed that they had miraculously appeared there. As thousands of Hindu devotees started visiting the place, the Government declared the mosque a disputed area and locked its gates. Subsequently, multiple lawsuits from Hindus, asking for permission to convert the site into a place of worship.[20]

In the 1980s, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other Hindu nationalist groups and political parties launched a campaign to construct the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir ("Rama birthplace temple") at the site. The Rajiv Gandhi government allowed Hindus to access the site for prayers.[21] On 6 December 1992, Hindu nationalists demolished the mosque, resulting in communal riots leading to over 2,000 deaths.[22]

In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted excavations of the site on court orders.[23] The ASI report indicated the presence of a 10th-century north Indian style temple under the mosque.[24] Muslim groups and the historians supporting them disputed these findings, and dismissed them as politically motivated.[25][26] The Allahabad High Court, however, upheld the ASI's findings.[27] The excavations by the ASI were heavily used as evidence by the court that the predating structure was a massive Hindu religious building.[28]

In 2009, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its election manifesto, repeating its promise to construct a temple to Rama at the site.[29][30]

In 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres (1.12 ha) of disputed land be divided into 3 parts, with Template:1/3 going to the Ram Lalla or Infant Lord Rama represented by the Hindu Maha Sabha for the construction of the Ram temple, Template:1/3 going to the Muslim Sunni Waqf Board and the remaining Template:1/3 going to a Hindu religious denomination Nirmohi Akhara.[31]

The five judges Supreme Court bench heard the title dispute cases from August to October 2019.[32][33] On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the land to be handed over to a trust to build the Hindu temple. It also ordered to the government to give alternate 5 acre land to Sunni Waqf Board to build the mosque.[34]On 5 February 2020, the trust known as Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra was created by the Government of India.


Background[edit]

Historical records cited by both groups can be made into any conclusions and even British Imperial records could have been tainted by their necessity to divide and rule a large country as India is.

Hindu groups say that Colonial British records maintain that efforts to replace the mosque with a temple had been on since before independence in 1947, but had been continually stymied by both the central government and various Indian courts.

Some Hindus claim that this the site of Ram's birth is situated in the city of Ayodhya in Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Ayodhya is a city sacred to devotees of Vishnu, who many Hindus believe took birth as King Ram, and has several temples devoted to the deity. The Ayodhya of Ram is believed to have existed in the Treta Yuga of the Hindu calendar, about 900,000 years ago.

Chronology of Events

In 1528, the Babri Masjid is constructed on the orders of Muslim leader Babur.

In 1949, it is claimed that idols of Lord Ram appeared in the Babri Masjid miraculously, allegedly placed there by Hindus. The semi-governmental Wakf Board, an Indian Muslim trust owned the land on which the mosque stood. Both Hindu and Muslim parties launch civil suits and the Indian government, declaring the site "disputed", locks the gates to the mosque.[35]

In 1984, a movement is started for the creation of Ram Janmabhoomi temple in place of Babri Mosque by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its political arm the Bharatiya Janata Party, under the leqadership of L K Advani.[35]

In 1986, a district judge of Uttar Pradesh, orders the opening of the mosque to Hindus. This, allegedly, came from the Congress government who tries to balance the favour shown to the Muslims in Shah Bano controversy.[35]

In 1989- 1990, the VHP intensifies its activities by laying foundations of the Ram temple on the adjacent property and partially damaging the mosque. Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar proposes negotiations which only intensify the crisis.

In 1992, on December 6, the mosque is forcibly demolished by Kar Sevaks of the VHP Hindu activists on December 6, 1992.[35] [36] The then Narasimha Rao led Congress government let a makeshift temple appear in its place before moving the courts for status quo. [37] The demolition of the mosque triggered large-scale rioting.

In 1528, the Babri Mosque was constructed by Babur's general, Mir Baqi on the orders of Babur after the alleged demolition of Ram Mandir.[38] In December 1949, statues of Rama were placed (as found by the Allahbad High Court) in the Babri Mosque. The semi-governmental Waqf Board, an Indian Muslim trust, owned the land on which the mosque stood. Both Hindu and Muslim parties launch civil suits. The Indian government, declaring the site "disputed" and locked the gates to the mosque. In 1984, a movement is started for the creation of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under the leadership of L K Advani. In 1986, a district judge of Uttar Pradesh orders the opening of the disputed structure to Hindus. This, allegedly, came from the Congress government, headed by Rajiv Gandhi, which tried to balance the alleged favour shown to the Muslims in the Shah Bano controversy.[35]

In 1989– 1990, the VHP intensified its activities by laying foundations for a Ram temple on the adjacent property. On 6 December 1992, the Babri Mosque was demolished by Kar Sevaks, or religious Hindu "volunteers', allegedly incited by several leaders of the BJP.[35][36] [39][39] The then Narasimha Rao-led Congress government let a makeshift temple appear in its place before moving the courts[which?] for status quo.[40] The demolition of the mosque triggered large-scale rioting. In 2005 Islamists attacked the structure and were gunned down by security forces in what is known as the Ram Mandir attack.

On 3 April 2009, the BJP released their manifesto again promising to construct a temple to Rama at the site.[41] -[42]

History[edit]

19th century[edit]

Some Hindus claim that they never lost the tradition to worship Ram on the Ramkot hill, and always returned to the site to venerate his birthplace. They cite the British sources which say that, Hindus and Muslims used to worship 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 mosquetemple. 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." [43]

This platform was outside the mosque 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 (see also the sections on history and literary sources).Although an important source Tulsidas - who wrote the epic Ram Charita Manas - Ram's biography and who lived at the same time the mosque was constructed failed to record any such event.

Archaeology of the site[edit]

Literary sources[edit]

See also Ayodhya, Harsh Narain

Harsh Narain (1993) cited more than 130 references to the temple in English, French, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian and Arabic.

Joseph Tieffenthaler[edit]

The Austrian Jesuit Tieffenthaler wrote in 1768: “Emperor Aurangzeb got demolished the fortress called Ramcot, and erected on the same place a Mahometan temple with three cupolas. Others believe that it was constructed by Babor.” [44] Tieffenthaler also writes that Hindus celebrated Ram Navami (Rama's birth festival) in front of the mosque, and that the mosque was built on a temple. [45] He wrote: "The reason is that here existed formerly a house in which Beschan (Vishnu) took birth in the form of Rama and where it is said his three brothers were also born. Subsequently Aurangzeb and some say Babar destroyed the place in order to prevent the heathens from practising their ceremonies. However, they have continued to practice their religious ceremonies in both the places knowing this to have been the birth place of Rama by going around it three times and prostrating on the ground." [46]

The tradition of treating the site as the birthplace of Rama appears to have begun in early l8th century. The earliest suggestion that the Babri Masjid is in proximity to the birthplace of Ram was made by the Jesuit priest Joseph Tieffenthaler, whose work in French was published in Berlin in 1788. It says:

"Emperor Aurangzeb got demolished the fortress called Ramkot, and erected on the same place a Mahometan temple with three cuppolas. Others believe that it was constructed by Babar. We see 14 columns of black stone 5 spans high that occupy places within the fortress. Twelve of these columns now bear the interior arcades of the Masjid; two (of the 12) make up the entrance of the cloister. Two others form part of the tomb of a certain Moor. It is related that these columns, or rather the debris of these columns, were brought from Lanka (called Ceylon by the Europeans) by Hanuman, chief of the monkeys." which in French reads as

l'empereur Aurungzeb a détruit la forteresse appelée Ramkot et construit à la même chose placer un temple musulman avec 3 dômes. D'autres indiquent qu'il a été construit par Babar. On peut voir 14 colonnes faites en pierre noire qui soutiennent des découpages. Plus tard Aurungzeb, et certains indiquent que Babar a détruit l'endroit afin d'empêcher des heathens de pratiquer leurs cérémonies. Toutefois ils ont continué à pratiquer leurs cérémonies religieuses dans le places, sachant ceci pour avoir été endroit de naissance de Rama, en le circulant 3 fois et en se prosternant sur la terre..

We see on the left a square platform 5 inches above ground, 5 inches long and 4 inches wide, constructed of mud and covered with lime. The Hindus call it bedi, that is to say, the birth-place. The reason is that here there was a house in which Beschan, (Bishan-Vishnu) took the form of Rama, and his three brothers are also said to have been born. Subsequently, Aurangzeb, or according to others, Babar razed this place down, in order not to give the Gentiles (Hindus) occasion to practice their superstition. However, they continued to follow their superstitious practices in both places, believing it to be the birthplace of Rama." Questions of history [archive]

This record reveals that Aurengzeb demolished the Ramkot fortress; that either he, or Babar constructed a Masjid there; the 12 columns of black stone pillars were brought from Lanka; and when veneration of Rama became prevalent after the 17th century, a small rectangular mud platform was built to mark the birthplace of Rama.

However, this account does not explicitly mention the existence of a temple but a mud platform.

Mirza Jain[edit]

Mirza Jain was a Muslim who participated in an attempt reconquest the Hanuman Ghari temple (which is a few hundred yards from the Babri Mosque) during Wajid Ali Shah's rule.

Mirza Jan wrote in 1856 that “a lofty mosque has been built by badshah Babar” on “the original birthplace of Rama”, so that “where there was a big temple, a big mosque was constructed, and where there was a small temple, a small mosque was constructed”. [47]
Mizra Jain also wrote: ‘wherever they found magnificent temples of the Hindus ever since the establishment of Sayyid Salar Mas’ud Ghazi’s rule, the Muslim rulers in India built mosques, monasteries, and inns, appointed mu’azzins, teachers, and store-stewards, spread Islam vigorously, and vanquished the Kafirs. Likewise, they cleared up Faizabad and Avadh, too, from the filth of reprobation (infidelity), because it was a great centre of worship and capital of Rama’s father. Where there stood the great temple (of Ramjanmasthan), there they built a big mosque, and, where there was a small mandap (pavilion), there they erected a camp mosque (masjid-i mukhtasar-i qanati). The Janmasthan temple is the principal place of Rama’s incarnation, adjacent to which is the Sita ki Rasoi. Hence, what a lofty mosque was built there by king Babar in 923 A. H. (1528 A.D.), under the patronage of Musa Ashiqan! The mosque is still known far and wide as the Sita ki Rasoi mosque. And that temple is extant by its side (aur pahlu mein wah dair baqi hai) ’ (Mirza Jan: Hadiqa-i Shahada (“The garden of martyrdom”), Lucknow 1856p. 247). Mirza Jan also wrote (quoting a relative of Aurangzeb), that the temples of Rama, Shiva, Krishna as well as Sita's Kitchen (i.e. part of the Ramkot complex) "were all demolished for the strength of Islam, and at all these places mosques have been constructed". [48]

But there are others who contest the writing as an exaggerated version of history in a book that is on Martyrdom and published at least three hundred years later to the construction of the Babri Mosque.

Shykh Muhammad Azamat Ali Kakorawi Nami[edit]

Shykh Muhammad Azamat Ali Kakorawi Nami (1811-1893) wrote: ‘According to old records, it has been a rule with the Muslim rulers from the first to build mosques, monasteries, and inns, spread Islam, and put (a stop to) non-Islamic practices, wherever they found prominence (of kufr). Accordingly, even as they cleared up Mathura, Bindraban, etc., from the rubbish of non-Islamic practices, the Babari mosque was built up in 923(?) A.H. under the patronage of Sayyid Musa Ashiqan in the Janmasthan temple (butkhane Janmasthan mein) in Faizabad-Avadh, which was a great place of (worship) and capital of Rama’s father’ (p. 9). ‘Among the Hindus it was known as Sita ki Rasoi’ (p. 10).[49] Zak Kakorawi, in his publication of the work of Shykh Azamat Ali Kakorawi Nami, also includes an excerpt written by Mirza Rajab Ali Beg Surur. Mirza Rajab Ali Beg Surur (1787-1867) wrote in Fasanah-i Ibrat that ‘a great mosque was built on the spot where Sita ki Rasoi is situated. During the regime of Babar, the Hindus had no guts to be a match for the Muslims. The mosque was built in 923(?) A.H. under the patronage of Sayyid Mir Ashiqan… Aurangzeb built a mosque on the Hanuman Garhi… The Bairagis effaced the mosque and erected a temple in its place. Then idols began to be worshipped openly in the Babari mosque where the Sita ki Rasoi is situated,’ (pp. 71-72).

However, some observers have likened this account very similar to this Colonial exchange between the British Viceroy and the Prime Minister "Every civil building connected with Mahommedan tradition should be levelled to the ground without regard to antiquarian veneration or artistic predilection." British Prime Minister Palmerston's Letter No. 9 dated 9 October 1857, to Lord Canning, Viceroy of India, Canning Papers.

Guru Nanak[edit]

According to Bhai Man Singh's Pothi Janam Sakhi (late 18th century), Guru Nanak visited Ayodhya and said to his Muslim disciple Mardana: 'Mardania! eh Ajudhia nagari Sri Ramachandraji Ji ki hai. So, chal, iska darsan kari'e. Translation: 'Mardana! this Ayodhya city belongs to Sri Ramachandra Ji. So let us have its darsana (pilgrimage visit).' [50]Though the Guru does not specifically state which temple should be visited.

Abul Fazl[edit]

In Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari (1598), Ayodhya is called “one of the holiest places of antiquity” and “the residence of Ramchander”. It mentions the celebration of Rama's birth festival (Ram Nomi) in Ayodhya. [51] However, again no specific spot was identified, in this account. He even mentions small details such as two Jewish priests lay buried in Ayodhya. Yet there is not the remotest reference to Ram's birthsite, let alone to any mosque built on it. Clearly the tradition did not continue Ram's birthplace to the existing town of Ayodhya, or the site occupied by the Babri Masjid.

Other sources[edit]

A. Führer wrote that: 'Mir Khan built a masjid in A.H. 930 during the reign of Babar, which still bears his name. This old temple must have been a fine one, for many of its columns have been utilized by the Musalmans in the construction of Babar's Masjid.' [52]

H.R. Neville wrote that the Janmasthan temple "was destroyed by Babar and replaced by a mosque."[53] He also wrote "The Janmasthan was in Ramkot and marked the birthplace of Rama. In 1528 A.D. Babar came to Ayodhya and halted here for a week. He destroyed the ancient temple and on its site built a mosque, still known as Babar's mosque. The materials of the old structure [i.e., the temple] were largely employed, and many of the columns were in good preservation." [17]

William Flinch, AD 1608,the British historian William Flinch who stayed in India during AD 1608-11 gives a detailed description of Ayodhya and the castle of Ramchand (Ramkot), "extensive enough to undertake a search for gold." Though he does not mention the birthplace of Rama, he gives a detailed account of the place where the ashes of Ram are kept. "Some two miles on the further side of the river in a cave of his with a narrow entrance, but so spacious and full of turnings within that a man may well loose himself there if he taketh not better heed; where it is thought his ashes were buried. Hither resort many from all parts of India, which carry from thence in remembrance certain grains of rice as black as gunpowder which they say have been preserved ever since." Had the place been considered sacred for being the birthplace of the Lord Rama, it should have become one of the places of pilgrimage. Instead the place where his ashes are kept was considered a place of veneration.

According to Romila Thapar "If we do not take Hindu mythology in account the first historical description of the city dates back recently to the 7th century, when the Chinese pilgrim Xuan Zang observed there were 20 Buddhist temples with 3000 monks at Ayodhya, amongst a large Hindu population. In 1528, nobles under Mughal emperor Babur constructed a mosque over the disputed site. The mosque, called the Babri Masjid, has become a source of contention for some Hindus. At the end of the 19th century, Ayodhya contained 96 Hindu temples and 36 Muslim mosques. Little local trade was carried on, but the great Hindu fair of Ram Navami held every year was attended by about 500,000 people."Template:Inote.

Alleged Censorship[edit]

Hindu parties cite that several attempts to censor information regarding the destruction of the Ram Janmabhoomi (and other temples) have been discovered. The book "Hindustan Islami Ahad Mein" by Maulana Hakim Saiyid Abdul Hai, which included a chapter that described the demolition of the Ram Janmabhoomi and other temples, was suddenly missing in most libraries. The English version (1977) has the passages that described the destruction of temples censored out.

The book Muruqqa-i Khusrawi by Sheikh Mohammed Azamat Ali Nami, published by Zaki Kakorawi with the financial aid of the F.A. Ahmad Memorial Committee, has a chapter describing the destruction of the Ram Janmabhoomi censored out. Zaki Kakorawi later published the relevant chapter independently. He wrote about this incident that the ‘suppression of any part of any old composition or compilation like this can create difficulties and misunderstandings for future historians and researchers’. [54]

Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Construction[edit]

File:Mandirhead.jpg
Shown here, is the proposed model of Ram Janmbhoomi temple

.

The matter is under court investigation but this does not deter the Hindu parties in preparing for its grand construction and some models and basic stone work has already been completed channelled by different organisations including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad which gains substantial amount of cashflows from the expatriate but devout Hindu populations in the US and Europe. Various workshops in different parts of India are working continuously since Sept. 1990 non-stop. Till 2001, about 45% of the work on Ground Floor was completed.

Pakistan's Foreign Office condemned the temple's construction in a statement, adding that the "international community, the United Nations and relevant international organizations should play their part in saving the Islamic heritage sites in India from the 'Hindutva' regime and ensure protection and religious rights of minorities in India".[55] Rana Ayyub, an Indian journalist, called the temple's inauguration on a location where "a criminal act" took place as the "ugly dance of fascism".[56] Writer Arundhati Roy questioned the timing of the inauguration, asking if it is "to rub salt into Kashmir's wounds"[lower-alpha 1] and called it "the defining period in which India under Modi has formally declared itself a Hindu Nation".[57]

The Ayodhya Debate[edit]

See Babri Mosque#The_Ayodhya_Debate

The descriptions of temple destructions in Muslim chronicles have been the matter of some controversy.

Moreover, the Shah Bano controversy that turned down the divorce provisions of Muslim personal laws in India and the aftermath in which the Indian parliament enacted a law to reinstate them contributed to some Hindus claiming that Muslims were enjoying a favoured status. Some observers see this as the major factor for the flare of this movement at the same time the Muslims regarded this as an attempt to curtail their religious freedom.

The Hindu nationalist movement has been pressing for reclaiming these Muslim buildings and calls this period a period of Hindu slavery and foreign rule. This is often unpalatable to the minority Muslim community and secularists who consider this period as culturally Indian noting that these rulers made India their own home and enriched India's varied traditions.

Hindu organisations like VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS claim more than 3000 places of Muslim worship to be built over their temples and in the immediate they are asking for one and some three of them .[58] Forced by this situation, Indian government enacted a law to maintain status quo of all the religious places as on 1947 except Babri Masjid which is sub judice. Even then there have been a spate of controversies created by the Hindu Separatist movement including Bhojshala [archive],Baba Budan Giri [archive],Hubli Idgah [archive] are some of them.

The legal case continues on the title deed of the land tract which is for the major part a Muslim trust (Wakf Board) or government controlled property ;while the Muslim parties have agreed to hand over the land (not unlike the Masjid Shaheedganj case in Lahore) if it is proven a temple existed, the Hindu side agrees to accept a positive verdict in its favour or a law in parliament to have it constructed in case of negative judgement saying faith in the existence of Ram Janmabhoomi can not be decided in a court of law.

The situation regarding the RamJanmabhoomi has been compared to the Temple Mount issues and Jewish claims in Israel by Scholar Daniel Pipes [3] [archive]

The Ayodhya debate also had effects on neighbouring countries. In 1992 there were incidents of loot, arson, rape and temple destructions committed against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. [59]

However, several contemporary archaeologists such as Prof. B.B. Lal and Western historians, such as Prof. Koenraad Elst have provided historical evidence that lends a greater legitimacy to the Hindu claims of the Ram Janmabhoomi. Elst has alleged that the counterclaims made by Muslims and 'mainstream' Indian historians are politically motivated rather than those having a scholarly legitimacy. He has also alleged 'open hostility' on the part of (predominantly J.N.U. - based) Indian History - academia to his scholarship.[4] [archive][5] [archive][6] [archive].

In 1528, the Mughals erected a mosque on the site, the Babri Masjid. The Archaeological Survey of India during excavation of the site found remains of a Ram temple there which was later used as evidence in the Supreme Court of India.[60][61] Disputes over the rightful use of the site resulted in multiple protests since the 1850s. A crowd of Hindu protesters demolished the mosque in 1992. In its 2019 verdict, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Hindu organisations and directed that a temple for Rama be constructed at the site and an alternative site be allocated for the mosque.[62]

Claims by former Jaipur Royal Family[edit]

In an interview with Times of India, Diya Kumari said - "Renowned historian Ram Nath in his work- 'A Historical Critique on the Ayodhya Mandir-Masjid Dispute'-has clearly mentioned that the Temple of Ram was built by Sawai Raja Jai Singh II of Amer-Jaipur (1699- 1743). He further added that it was Raja Jaisingh who purchased the land of the Ramkot at Ayodhya in 1717 AD and established a Jaisinghpura there. We have several related documents including pattas, parwanas, chak-namas and letters to substantiate claims. Our records include one of the oldest Ram Temple related document, dated 1717 CE and written in Persian, which state that a plot measuring 983 square yards was granted to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh Kachhawa in Ayodhya for the construction of a haveli, katla and pura by the then Nawab of Awadh. The title of the land was Jagir-i-Muafi, which was a partially rent-free land grant. There are maps of Ayodhya with the Ram Temple distinctly marked which are also available."[63]

Yet in another news media, Diya Kumari says, "there are descendants of Lord Rama worldwide. This includes our family, who are descendants of Lord Rama's son Kush. It is like an open book of history. In the Ram Mandir case, the hearing should be fast and the court should give its verdict soon. " Padmini Devi added that in 1992, Brigadier Bhavani Singh handed over the map and other documents to the court. "It was our duty as responsible citizens", she said.[64]

According to Annexure-2 of the famous historian Ram Nath's book 'The Jai Singhpura of Sawai Raja Jai Singh at Ayodhya', the Kachhwaha dynasty of Jaipur had the right over the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Nath has proved this with a document in the research book Studies in the Middle Indian Architecture that Kot Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya was under the authority of Sawai Jai Singh II. Its leases and many documents are secure.[65]

Historian Ram Nath has claimed that the birthplace of Ram is in Jaisinghpur. The land of which was acquired in 1727 after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Jai Singh was allowed to build on the land. After Aurangzeb's death, Sawai Jai Singh II bought large tracts of land in Hindu religious areas. In 1717 to 1725, Ram Janmabhoomi Temple was built in Ayodhya. The fort here is built at a height of about 40 feet off the coast of Ramchandrapura Saryu. Sawai Jai Singh got Ram's birth place renovated. The work was done according to Hindu scriptures.[66] Source [7] [archive]

Notes[edit]

  1. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ram_Janambhumi_trust_chief_threatened/articleshow/2562582.cms [archive]
  2. http://www.censusindia.net/ [archive]
  3. http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/aug/25ayo1.htm [archive]
  4. 15th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1986, entry "Ayodhya", Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.
  5. e.g. Romila Thapar. Tom Bottomore: Dictionary of Marxist Thought, Blackwell, Oxford 1988, entry “Hinduism”.
  6. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named RamSharan_2003
  7. Noorani, A. G. (2003), The Babri Masjid Question, 1528-2003, Volume 1 [archive], Tulika Books, Introduction (p. xvii), ISBN 81-85229-78-3, It asserts that the Mughal Emperor Babar's Governor at Awadh, Mir Baqi Tashqandi, built the Babri Masjid (mosque) at Ayodhya ... The mosque was built in 1528 ...<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  8. Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited (2016), Chapter 6.
  9. Jain, Rama and Ayodhya (2013), p. 9, 120, 164.
  10. Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited (2016), p. xv.
  11. Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited (2016), p. xxvii.
  12. Jain, Rama and Ayodhya (2013), pp. 112-115.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Robert_2003
  14. Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited (2016), p. 143.
  15. K. Jaishankar (2009). "Communal Violence and Terrorism in India: Issues and Introspections". In Yakov Gilinskiy; Thomas Albert Gilly; Vladimir Sergevnin (eds.). The Ethics of Terrorism [archive]. Charles C Thomas. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9780398079956.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  16. Shykh Azamat Ali Kakorawi Nami, Muraqqah-i Khusrawi or Tarikh-i Avadh cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css" />ISBN 81-85504-16-4. Pages 9-10.
  17. 17.0 17.1 H.R. Neville, Fyzabad District Gazetteer, Lucknow, 1905, pp 172–177) cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css" />ISBN 81-85504-16-4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "nev" defined multiple times with different content
  18. (H.R. Neville in the Barabanki District Gazetteer, Lucknow, 1905, pp 168–169)
  19. Roma Chatterji (2014). Wording the World: Veena Das and Scenes of Inheritance [archive]. Fordham University Press. p. 275. ISBN 9780823261857.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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  21. "What If Rajiv Hadn't Unlocked Babri Masjid?" [archive]. Outlook. Retrieved 2012-06-20.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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  31. Ram Janm Bhumi Babri Masjid: Gist of Judgments [archive] Archived [archive] 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
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  33. "Supreme Court hearing ends in Ayodhya dispute; orders reserved" [archive]. The Hindu Business Line. Press Trust of India. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2019-10-18.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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  36. 36.0 36.1 [1] [archive] BBC Mark Tully, Eyewitness: Ayodhya destruction London, UK, July 5, 2005 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "BBC" defined multiple times with different content
  37. [2] [archive] Kuldeep Nair, Editors and Prime Ministers Rediff [archive]
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  43. P. Carnegy: A Historical Sketch of Tehsil Fyzabad, Lucknow 1870, cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 818550416 p.8-9, and by Peter Van der Veer Religious Nationalism, p.153
  44. (Quoted by R.S. Sharma et al.: Historians Report, p.19)
  45. (A.K. Chatterjee: “Ram Janmabhoomi: some more evidence”, Indian Express, 27-3-1990 and History and Geography of India, by Joseph Tieffenthaler, (published in French by Bernoulli in 1785))
  46. Joseph Tieffenthaler, History and Geography of India,1785, publisher: Bernoulli, Frace, cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 818550416 p.8-9, and by Peter Van der Veer Religious Nationalism, p.153
  47. Mirza Jan, Hadiqa-i Shahada (“The garden of martyrdom”),1856, Lucknow, cited by VHP evidence bundle History vs. Casuistry, Voice of India, Delhi, 1991, p.14; also cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 818550416 p.8-9, and by Peter Van der Veer Religious Nationalism, p.153
  48. Sahifa-i Chahal Nasaih Bahadur Shahi, Letter of the Forty Advices of Bahadur Shah, also cited in VHP evidence bundle. History vs. Casuistry, p. 13-14.), cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 818550416 p.8-9, and by Peter Van der Veer Religious Nationalism, p.153
  49. Shykh Azamat Ali Kakorawi Nami, Muraqqah-i Khusrawi or Tarikh-i Avadh cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 818550416
  50. Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, pp 14-15, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 818550416
  51. (R.S. Sharma et al.: Historians’ Report, p.16.)
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  54. (Amir Ali Shahid aur Ma’rkah-i Hanuman Garhi, p. 3)
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References[edit]

  • Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. 1996. Edited, translated and annotated by Wheeler M. Thacktson. New York and London: Oxford University Press.
  • The Ayodhya Reference: Supreme Court Judgement and Commentaries. 1995. New Delhi:Voice of India. Ayodhya and the Future of India. 1993. Edited by Jitendra Bajaj. Madras: Centre for Policy Studies.
  • Elst, Koenraad. 1991. Ayodhya and After: Issues before Hindu Society. 1991. New Delhi: Voice of India. [8] [archive]
  • Elst, Koenraad, Ayodhya, The Finale - Science versus Secularism the Excavations Debate (2003) ISBN 8185990778
  • Elst, Koenraad, Ayodhya: The Case Against the Temple (2002) ISBN 81-85990-75-1
  • Emmanuel, Dominic. 'The Mumbai bomb blasts and the Ayodhya tangle', National Catholic Reporter (Kansas City, August 27 2003).
  • S.R. Goel: Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them, Voice of India, Delhi 1991. [9] [archive] [10] [archive]
  • Harsh Narain. 1993. The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources. Delhi: Penman Publishers.
  • Rajaram, N.S. (2000). Profiles in Deception: Ayodhya and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New Delhi: Voice of India
  • Thakur Prasad Varma and Swarajya Prakash Gupta: Ayodhya ka Itihas evam Puratattva— Rigveda kal se ab tak (‘History and Archaeology of Ayodhya— From the Time of the Rigveda to the Present’). Bharatiya Itihasa evam Samskrit Parishad and DK Printworld. New Delhi.
  • Ayodhya ka Itihas evam Puratattva— Rigveda kal se ab tak (‘History and Archaeology of Ayodhya— From the Time of the Rigveda to the Present’) by Thakur Prasad Varma and Swarajya Prakash Gupta. Bharatiya Itihasa evam Samskrit Parishad and DK Printworld. New Delhi. (An important work on the archaeology of the temple.)
  • History versus Casuistry: Evidence of the Ramajanmabhoomi Mandir presented by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to the Government of India in December-January 1990-91. New Delhi: Voice of India.
  • Jain, Meenakshi (2013). Rama and Ayodhya. New Delhi: Aryan Books. ISBN 8173054517.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Kunal, Kishore (2016), Ayodhya Revisited [archive], Prabhat Prakashan, ISBN 978-81-8430-357-5<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Narain, Harsh (1993). The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources. Delhi: Penman Publishers.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Jain, Meenakshi (2017). The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya. Aryan Books International. ISBN 8173055793.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • B. B. Lal (2008). Rāma, His Historicity, Mandir, and Setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology, and Other Sciences [archive]. Aryan Books. ISBN 978-81-7305-345-0.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Nath, R. (1990). Babari Masjid of Ayodhya. Jaipur: The Historical Research Documentation program.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Rajaram, N. S. (2000). Profiles in Deception: Ayodhya and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New Delhi: Voice of India.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Arun Shourie, Arun Jaitley, Swapan Dasgupta, Rama J Jois: The Ayodhya Reference: Supreme Court Judgement and Commentaries. 1995. New Delhi:Voice of India. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css" />ISBN 978-8185990309
  • Arun Shourie, Sita Ram Goel, Harsh Narain, Jay Dubashi and Ram Swarup. Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them Vol. I, (A Preliminary Survey) (1990) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css" />ISBN 81-85990-49-2
  • Varma, Thakur Prasad; Gupta, Swarajya Prakash. Ayodhya ka Itihas evam Puratattva — Rigveda kal se ab tak (History and Archaeology of Ayodhya— From the Time of the Rigveda to the Present) (in Hindi). New Delhi: Bharatiya Itihasa evam Samskrit Parishad and DK Printworld.CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • History versus Casuistry: Evidence of the Ramajanmabhoomi Mandir presented by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to the Government of India in December–January 1990-91. New Delhi: Voice of India.

In fiction[edit]

The Babri riots are depicted in the 1995 film Bombay.

See also[edit]

Wikipedia bias and censorship[edit]

The article is protected which is done to discourage new editors to balance or counter the obvious bias and fake news in "their" wikipedia article.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

News links[edit]

https://www.hinduamerican.org/issues/ram-janmabhoomi-ayodhya-faq [archive]

https://swarajyamag.com/commentary/all-of-swarajyas-ayodhya-coverage-in-one-place [archive]
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