Ayodhya , a small city in the state of Uttar Pradesh , is regarded as one of the seven sacred cities of Hindus. The town is revered because of its association with the Hindu god Rama. It has been a mythological belief among the Hindus that Ayodhya is the birth place of the almighty Lord Rama , the 7th avatar of God Vishnu. Many anecdotes of the omnipotent Rama have been passed on from generations to generations.

But in the early 16th century , the Mughals invaded India and Babur constructed ‘Mosque of Babur’ at the traditional and sacred site considered to be the birth place of Rama. The Ram Janmabhoomi , was a religiously important site for both Hindus and Muslims. The site , because of its significance , was a matter of contention for both the religious communities. This led to a 167 year old saga of struggle and violence.

The rigmarole started just after the First war of Independence as a puja was conducted inside the premises of mosque. This started a chain of events which led to violent clashes and riots between the Hindus and Muslims. In September 1990, a Rath-Yatra was conducted by L.K Advani to grab the political opportunity the Ram temple could create. This stirred the emotions among the Hindus as it mobilised the community which resulted in the events of December 1992.

What Happened on December 6, 1992 left the nation shell shocked. It left irreparable scars on India’s image of a tolerant society. The nations head hung in shame. The streets of Ayodhya thronged with Hindu nationalists and on the calls of Hindu fanatic leaders , the Kar Sevaks demolished the disputed Babri Mosque. This created cracks in country’s social fabric , especially among Hindus and Muslims. This sparked a communal violence across the country which left 2,000 people dead and thousands injured. BJP government was dismissed in many states but it led to the emergence of BJP as the most prominent political party.

On November 9,2019 , a five judge bench ruled in favour of the Hindus and the entire land was handed to a trust formed by the government. It was a historic day for the Hindus as they won a long-hard legal battle. The Supreme Court also alloted land to the Muslim board for construction of mosque 5 kms away.

The City witnessed a ground breaking ceremony on August 5 2020 as many prominent leaders came to pay their respects for the construction of the Temple. This ended a long battle between the two communities and embedded a new chapter in the Rich Cultural History of India.