The Story Behind Ram Mandir: From Babri Masjid to Bhumi Pujan
How a Hindu temple became the center of a long-standing dispute and a source of devotion for millions of Indians.
The Ram Mandir, dedicated to Lord Ram, is a sacred Hindu temple located in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple holds immense historical and cultural significance and has been a focal point of religious and political discussions for centuries. Moreover, the history of the Ram Mandir is a tapestry woven with threads of faith, politics, and legal complexities. As the temple takes shape in Ayodhya, it stands not only as a place of worship but also as a symbol of resilience and the enduring spirit of a diverse nation. The journey from ancient legends to contemporary construction reflects the rich cultural tapestry of India, where history and spirituality are intertwined.
Timeline:
Ancient History: The legend of Lord Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is immortalized in the epic Ramayana, attributed to the sage Valmiki. Ayodhya is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The concept of a temple at the birthplace gained prominence over the centuries as Ayodhya became an essential pilgrimage site.
Babri Masjid Construction (1528): In 1528, the Babri Masjid was constructed by Mughal Emperor Babur in Ayodhya. The mosque's construction led to the controversial debate over its location at the alleged birthplace of Lord Ram.
Ram Janmabhoomi Movement (1853-1992): The modern controversy gained momentum in the 19th century when the Nirmohi Akhara initiated the legal battle for the possession of the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
In 1885, Mahant Raghubir Das filed a plea seeking permission to build a canopy outside the Babri Masjid to perform prayers.
The Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute escalated throughout the 20th century, leading to communal tensions.
Babri Masjid Demolition (1992): The dispute reached a boiling point on December 6, 1992, when the Babri Masjid was demolished by a large crowd of Hindu activists. This event triggered widespread communal violence across India.
The demolition marked a turning point in Indian history, leading to legal battles and political repercussions.
Land Title Verdict (2019): In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark verdict, allocating the disputed land for the construction of a Ram Mandir.
The court also ordered the allocation of an alternative five acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque.
Bhoomi Pujan and Construction (2020 onwards): On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone (Bhoomi Pujan) for the Ram Mandir.
The construction of the temple commenced, symbolizing a significant moment in Indian history and fulfilling the aspirations of millions of devotees.
Other places
Those who believe that Rama was a historic figure, place his birth before 1000 BCE. However, the archaeological excavations at Ayodhya have not revealed any settlement before that date. Consequently, a number of other places have been suggested as the birthplace of Rama.
In November 1990, the newly appointed Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar made an attempt to resolve the Ayodhya dispute amicably. Towards this objective, he asked Hindu and Muslim groups to exchange evidence on their claims over Ayodhya. The panel representing the Muslim organization Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) included R. S. Sharma, D. N. Jha, M. Athar Ali and Suraj Bhan.
The evidence presented by them included scholarly articles discussing alternative theories about the birthplace of Rama. These sources mentioned 8 different possible birthplaces, including a site other than Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Nepal and Afghanistan. One author – M. V. Ratnam – claimed that Rama was Ramses II, a pharaoh of ancient Egypt.
In his 1992 book Ancient geography of Ayodhya, historian Shyam Narain Pande argued that Rama was born around present-day Herat in Afghanistan. In 1997, Pande presented his theory in the paper "Historical Rama distinguished from God Rama" at the 58th session of the Indian History Congress in Bangalore. In 2000, Rajesh Kochhar similarly traced the birthplace of Rama to Afghanistan, in his book The Vedic People: Their History and Geography. According to him, the Harriud river of Afghanistan is the original "Sarayu", and Ayodhya was located on its banks.
In 1998, archaeologist Krishna Rao put forward his hypothesis about Banawali being Rama's birthplace. Banawali is an Harappan site located in the Haryana state of India. Rao identified Rama with the Sumerian king Rim-Sin I and his rival Ravana with the Babylonian king Hammurabi. He claimed to have deciphered Indus seals found along the Sarasvati rivers, and found the words "Rama Sena" (Rim-Sin) and "Ravani dama" on those seals. He rejected Ayodhya as the birthplace of Rama, on the grounds that Ayodhya and other Ramayana sites excavated by B. B. Lal do not show evidence of settlements before 1000 BCE. He also claimed that the writers of the later epics and the Puranas got confused because the ancient Indo-Aryans applied their ancient place names to the new place names as they migrated eastwards.
Archaeological Survey of India - Evidences
First Excavation
A team of Archeological Survey of India in the leadership and B. B. Lal conducted a survey of the land in 1976–77. They found 12 pillars of the mosque that were made from the remains of a Hindu temple. The base of Pillars had Purna Kalasha which was 'ghada' (water pitcher) from which foliage would be coming out. These symbols were found in almost all the temples of 12th and 13th Century. For Hindus, it is one of the eight auspicious symbol of prosperity also known as Ashtamangala Chinha. The excavation team found many terracotta sculptures that depicted human beings and animals, a characteristic of a temple, not a mosque.
Second excavation
In 2003, A 50 plus member team of Archeological Survey of India did the second excavation. They found over 50 pillars, hinting that below the mosque stood a Hindu temple that could be dated back to the 12th Century AD.
Temple Pranali
The excavators further found a temple system that depicted a crocodile (a symbol of the Holy Ganga) to signify a symbolic bath in the holy rivers of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati to wash off one's sins. They also got the temple 'pranali' (system). We have to bathe the deity and the 'abhisheka jal' flows through 'pranali'. This 'makara pranali' was also excavated.
Kalasha, Amalkam Grivaha and Shikhara
The ASI team unearthed several remains of a temple's 'shikhara' (tower) from the mosque's premises, adding to the evidences of a Hindu structure underneath ASI team also found another architectural member known as 'amalka'. Below the 'amalka' there is the 'grivah' and also the 'shikhara' portion of the temple in North India.
Terracotta remains
The ASI archaeologists found 263 pieces of terracotta objects of gods, goddesses, human figures, female figurines that consolidated the theory that it was the site of a temple.
Vishnu Hari Shila Phalak
An inscription of 'Vishnu Hari Shila Phalak' was found on two remains found at the site that proved to be important circumstantial evidence that stated the existence of a Hindu temple there.
In conclusion, more than just a religious temple, the Ram Mandir represents a confluence of faith, history, and architectural brilliance. The temple stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Lord Rama and the collective spirit of the nation. With the temple expected to serve as a beacon, guiding the spiritual and cultural aspirations of future generations, the construction of the temple is just the start of India’s cultural renaissance.
Written by: Ishan Kaushik Singh
Writer | TeenScript (Indian research division)