The Ram Mandir is a Hindu temple under construction in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, the hypothesized birthplace of Rama, a principal deity of Hinduism.
The site is the former location of the Babri Masjid which was built in 16th century CE after the demolition of an existing non-Islamic structure. The idols of Rama and Sita were placed in the mosque in 1949, before it was attacked and demolished in 1992.[8][9][10] In 2019, the Supreme Court of India delivered the verdict to give the disputed land to Hindus for construction of a temple, while Muslims would be given land elsewhere to construct a mosque.[11] The court referenced a report from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as evidence suggesting the presence of a structure beneath the demolished Babri Masjid, that was found to be non-Islamic.[12] However, ASI claims were heavily disputed by critics[13][14] as contradictory, dubious, and being the product of nationalistic manipulation.
The bhumi pujan (transl. ground breaking ceremony) for the commencement of the construction of Ram Mandir was performed on 5 August 2020, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[18] The temple, currently under construction, is being supervised by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The inauguration of the temple is scheduled for 22 January 2024.
The temple has attracted a number of controversies due to alleged misuse of donation, sidelining of its major activists and politicisation of the temple by the BJP.
Ancient and Medieval
Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, is a Hindu deity. According to the ancient Indian epic, Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhya.
In the 16th century, the temple was attacked and destroyed by Babur in his series of temple raids across northern India.[25] Later, the Mughals constructed a mosque, the Babri Masjid, which is believed to be the site of the Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Rama.[26] The earliest record of the mosque may be traced back to 1767, in the Latin book Descriptio Indiae, authored by the Jesuit missionary Joseph Tiefenthaler. According to him, the mosque was constructed by destroying the Ramkot temple, believed to be the fortress of Rama in Ayodhya, and the Bedi, where the birthplace of Rama is situated.
The first instance of religious violence was documented in 1853.[28] In December 1858, the British administration prohibited Hindus from conducting puja (rituals) at the contested site. A platform was created for conducting rituals outside the mosque.
Construction
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust began the first phase of construction of the Ram Mandir in March 2020.[66][67] The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India caused a temporary suspension of the construction.[68][69] On 25 March 2020, Ram's idol was moved to a temporary location in the presence of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath.[70] In preparation for the temple's construction, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organised a 'Vijay Mahamantra Jaap Anushthan', in which individuals would gather at different places to chant the 'Vijay Mahamantra' – Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram, on 6 April 2020. This was said to ensure "victory over hurdles" in constructing the temple.
Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha
Preparations are in full swing for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha (Consecration) ceremony on January 22, 2024. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Ram temple in Ayodhya and will also be the chief guest of the event. According to media estimates, the consecration ceremony would be attended by more than 7,000 people, including politicians, film personalities, prominent industrialists among others.
Schools across the country in various states, have declared a holiday on the day of Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. The Union government also declared a 'half-day' closing of all central government offices, central institutions and other central industrial establishments on January 22, for allowing employees to celebrate the Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. The official circular states that working hours would resume at 2:30 PM on the day.