At 26.79 degree North and 82.

19 degree East on the map of the world lies

the temple town of Ayodhya... a place that is believed to stretch back to times
beyond the realm of history.

Ayodhya on the banks of the river Sarayu is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites
for Vaishnavite Hindus who believe their god Ram was born here.

Till 1992 a Mosque stood at the exact same place where the followers of Ram
believed he was born. Then on 6th of December 1992 thousands of Hindu
activists who had gathered in Ayodhya brought down the Mosque...464 years
after it was built.

It is in this landscape that the dramatic tussle for a piece of land begins and
ends... It is here that the clash over Right to worship and the Right of
ownership developed into independent India's longest running court case....

The Back Story

In 1528 when the first Mughal ruler Babur had already established his
suzerainty over Hindustan, his General Mir Baqi built a Mosque in Ayodhya.

The mosque was situated on a mound and over the centuries a section of the
Hindu community began claiming that the Mughals built it by demolishing a
structure that marked Ram's birthplace.

In 1853 the first records exist of a Hindu-Muslim riot ... The then ruler of
India The English East India Company or Company Bahadur put up fences
dividing the courtyard of what had come to be known as the Babri Masjid into
two.
The Muslims were told to offer prayers in the inner courtyard while the Hindus
were told to worship on the outer one. A small wooden platform came up in
the outer courtyard where an idol of the infant Ram or Ramlalla was
established... and so remained the status quo for 96 years.

The Hindu View

In 1947 when the British left dividing the realm between India and Pakistan
and communal clashes seared the countryside there began renewed demands
for Hindu control over the Babri Masjid and the establishing of a Ram Mandir
in its place.

In 1948 the District Magistrate of Faizabad declared the place as disputed

land and locked the main door of the Babri Masjid. It was ordered that two
guards would take turns to ensure that the lock remained in place...one was
to be a Hindu the other a Muslim.

On the intervening night of 22nd-23rd December 1949 an idol of the

infant Ram appeared inside the Mosque - it was placed in the inner
sanctorum. The Hindus immediately claimed it a miracle and further proof of
the spot being the birthplace of Ram.

Over the next few days the news spread like wildfire and the followers of Ram
began to congregate at the spot.

The Muslim View

The Muslims claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched to smuggle the idol
of RamLalla inside Babri Masjid. And as charges and counter charges began
to be traded there was fear of a communal flair up. The City and District
administration tightened security around the Mosque. The Muslims
complained that they were not being allowed to enter the Babri Masjid to
offer prayers while the Hindus were carrying on with offering puja to the
Infant ram inside.

In early 1950 the first suit was filed in Court by one Gopal Singh Visharad
asking for right to worship. Court restrained removal of idols, and allowed
worship to continue.

In 1959 Nirmohi Akhara filed a suit asking for possession of the spot claiming
it was the custodian for the spot at which Ram was born

In December, 1981 the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Board of Waqfs move
Court to claim possession of Babri Masjid.

In February 1986, the Rajiv Gandhi government, in what was seen as a

move to appease Hindus, told the UP state government to remove its
objections to the unlocking of the Babri Masjid. Given an assurance that it
would not create a law and order situation the District court in Faizabad
ordered the locks removed. Till then a solitary priest had been permitted to
perform Puja once a year but with the gates open all the devout got access to
Ramlalla.

On 1st July, 1989 a Civil suit was filed in the name of Bhagwan Shree Ram
Lalla Virajman for declaration and possession of the Masjid complex.

On 23 October, 1989 all four disputes were merged and transferred on to a

special bench of the Allahabad High Court...But exactly a year later to the day
a more dramatic development was to unfold that would heighten the crisis to
a point of no return.
The day of Demolition

On 23rd October 1990 LK Advani was arrested at the Samastipur Circuit

House in Bihar... bringing to an abrupt halt his 28 day old Rath Yatra.

The then BJP president had been riding a modern day chariot... from the
temple of Somnath in Gujarat...travelling across 9 States he planned to reach
Ayodhya on October 30...to participate in the massive Hindu mobilisation that
was underway to build a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya...at the spot where there
stood the Babri Masjid.

The twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad had turned in to a fortress as the
area around Babri Masjid was fortified...to stop Kar Sewaks from reaching the
site. But VHP and Bajrang Dal activists continued to pour into
Ayodhya...evading police barricades.

On October 30 1990, thousands of Hindu Volunteers or kar sevaks thronged

the Hanuman Garhi crossing...About 15000 kar sevaks pushed towards the
Babri Masjid. A few kar sevaks even managed to climb the dome of the
mosque and unfurl a saffron flag on top.

With instructions from the State Govt to not allow any damage to the
mosque, the police resorted to firing at the crowd.

12 people died, though the kar sewaks claim a larger number...

In the 1991 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections the BJP won
absolute majority. And the new Chief minister Kalyan Singh handed over a
2.77 acre patch of land in front of the Babri Masjid to the Ram Janmabhoomi
Nyas on lease...
In October 1992 VHP announced a grand kar seva on 6th of December
1992.

On the 27th of November, the kalyan Singh govt assured the Supreme
Court that the state government was fully committed to safeguarding the
Babri Masjid.

By the 5th of December 1992, an estimated 250,000 had gathered around

the disputed structure.

On 6th December at around 11 AM the first of the kar sewaks broke

through the cordon.

By 11:43AM some Kar sevaks climbed on top of the dome of the masjid.

By 12:05 PM all three domes were submerged under the Karsevaks.

Hundreds more started attacking the base of the structure.

SB CHAVAN - we were totally helpless, our paramilitary forces

weren't allowed in by the Kalyan Singh Govt

By 4:49PM rubble was all that was left of the Babri Masjid.

Since that December day in 1992, the disputed site has remained under
extreme security lockdown...the mound where the Babri Masjid stood is where
the idol of Ramlalla remained under a makeshift tarpaulin cover...For 27 years
devotees of Ram came in through narrow security pathways to catch a
glimpse of their God...while the Muslims stayed away... fighting the case in
court...

CASE IN COURT
In April 2002, The Allahabad High Court began hearing on who owns the
disputed land.

In 2003, Supreme Court ordered that to maintain communal harmony no

religious activity should take place at the site.

On Sept 30 2010 the Allahabad High Court divided the disputed land in
three parts - one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi
Akhara and one-third to the party for ‘Ram Lalla’.

In May 2011, the Supreme Court issued a stay order on the entire 67 acre
area.

In December, 2017, 32 civil rights activists file plea challenging the 2010
Allahabad High Court verdict. A 3 judge bench led by then CJI Dipak Misra
begin final Ayohdya hearing.

2nd October 2018 Justice Misra retires.

In February 2019 a new 5 Judge bench under Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi
begin hearing but first order a court-monitored mediation.

In August 2019, mediation talks fall through...and daily hearings begin

On October 16, 2019, the hearing of the final arguments concluded in the
Supreme Court of India...