In a momentous journey that spans centuries, the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram Temple is set for January 22, 2024, marking a significant milestone three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has meticulously curated a guest list of over 7,000 individuals, comprising VVIPs, revered saints and seers, international delegates from 50 countries, and the families of the dedicated 'Kar Sevaks' pivotal in the Ram temple movement.
Among the distinguished invitees are not only political figures such as PM Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath but also cultural icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, sporting legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, yoga guru Ramdev, and industrial titans Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, and Gautam Adani.
On the auspicious day of January 22, 2024, the grand ceremony will witness the installation of the idol of Lord Ram inside the exalted Ram Mandir, symbolizing the realization of a dream set in motion by the landmark Supreme Court verdict in 2019. To truly appreciate the significance of this historic event, let's delve into a comprehensive timeline of the events leading up to this remarkable juncture:
The 19th Century:
1853: The first recorded incident of religious violence occurs, more than 230 years after the construction of Babri Masjid. A Hindu sect claims the destruction of a temple during the rule of Nawab Wajid Shah of Awadh.
1885: Mahant Raghubir Das files a plea in Faizabad district court, seeking permission to build a canopy on the Ramchabutra outside the mosque. The plea is rejected.
The 20th Century:
1949: Gopal Singh Visharad files a petition to worship the deity of Ram Janambhoomi after idols of Ram Lalla are found inside Babri Masjid, leading to civil suits and the government proclaiming the premises a disputed area.
1984: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spearheads a movement to 'liberate' the birthplace of Lord Ram. BJP leader LK Advani takes over the leadership of the campaign.
1986: Ayodhya District judge orders the gates of the disputed mosque to be opened to allow Hindus to worship there, leading to the formation of the Babri Mosque Action Committee in protest.
1989: The VHP lays the foundations of a Ram temple on land adjacent to the disputed mosque, and four suits pending at the Faizabad court are transferred to a special bench of the High Court.
1990: The BJP, under the leadership of LK Advani, orders a national Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya. The procession passes through hundreds of cities and villages, leading to several communal riots. VHP volunteers partially damage the mosque.
1992: On December 6, 1992, the mosque is torn down by supporters of the VHP, Shiv Sena, and the BJP, prompting nationwide rioting between Hindus and Muslims. The demolition results in widespread communal riots across the country, causing the death of 2,000 people.
The Late 20th Century:
1998: The BJP forms a coalition government under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
2001: Tensions rise on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque. VHP pledges again to build a Hindu temple at the site. Vajpayee sets up an Ayodhya cell in his office and appoints a senior official, Shatrughna Singh, to hold talks with Hindu and Muslim leaders.
2002: BJP rules out committing itself to the construction of a temple in its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. VHP confirms a deadline of March 15 to begin construction. Hundreds of volunteers converge on the site. At least 58 people are killed in an attack on a train in Godhra, carrying Hindu activists returning from Ayodhya.
March 2002: Hundreds of people die in riots in Gujarat following the train attack.
April 2002: Three High Court judges begin hearings on determining who owns the religious site.
January 2003: Archaeologists begin a court-ordered survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram existed on the site.
August 2003: The survey suggests evidence of a temple beneath the mosque, but Muslims dispute the findings.
September 2003: A court rules that seven Hindu leaders should stand trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri Mosque. No charges are brought against Advani.
November 2004: A court in Uttar Pradesh rules that LK Advani’s role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid be reviewed.
July 2005: Suspected militants attack the makeshift Ram temple at the site, using a jeep laden with explosives. The CRPF shoots dead all five militants in a gunfight while one civilian dies in the grenade attack that the terrorists launched to breach the cordoned wall.
June 2009: The Liberhan commission investigating the mosque’s demolition submits its report.
July 2010: The High Court finishes hearing the title suit, and the verdict is awaited.
September 2010: Allahabad High Court on September 30, 2010, orders that the 2.77-acre disputed site be divided into three parts among the Hindus, the Muslims, and the Nirmohi Akhara. Petitions filed by various parties challenge the verdict. A petition is also filed on behalf of Ram Lalla challenging the HC verdict.
2011: All three parties in the case appeal against the Allahabad High Court verdict. The Supreme Court stays the HC order of splitting the disputed site into three parts.
2019: In November 2019, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court orders the disputed land to be handed over to a trust to build the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. The court also orders the government to allocate five acres of land in another place to the Sunni Waqf Board to build a mosque.
The Recent Developments:
2020 Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony: On August 5, the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Temple was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He performed Bhoomi Poojan and laid the foundation stone of the grand Ram temple. Modi became the first Prime Minister to have Darshan at Ram Janmbhumi and Hanumangarhi temple of Ayodhya.
May 2022: Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra informed that the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is in full swing. According to the report, the foundation has been laid, and the plinth or the pedestal raising work, which began in January, was still going on.
January 2024: Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust Champat Rai has confirmed that the idol of Lord Ram will be installed at
