A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Saturday permitted the construction of a temple at the site where the Babri Masjid once stood, and asked the government to allot a “prominent and suitable” five-acre plot for Muslims to construct a mosque in Ayodhya.

In a unanimous judgment, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi asked the Centre, which had acquired the entire 67.73 acres of land including the 2.77 acre of the disputed Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid premises in 1993, to formulate a scheme within three months and set up a trust to manage the property and construct a temple.

For the time being, the possession of the disputed property would continue to vest with the Centre until a notification is issued by it investing the property in the trust.

The Bench also directed that the Sunni Central Waqf Board should be given a five-acre plot, either by the Centre from within its acquired area, or by the Uttar Pradesh government “at a suitable, prominent place in Ayodhya”. The Board would be at liberty to construct a mosque there. This should be done simultaneously with the transfer of the property to the proposed trust.

The judges declared that the demolition of the 16th century Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, was “an egregious violation of the rule of law” and “a calculated act of destroying a place of public worship”. The Muslims have been wrongly deprived of a mosque which had been constructed well over 450 years ago, the Bench said.

The Court referred to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991, which prohibits the conversion of the status any place of worship, to say that all religions are equal. “The Constitution does not make a distinction between the faith and belief of one religion and another. All forms of belief, worship and prayer are equal,” Chief Justice Gogoi said, reading excerpts from the judgment for the Bench, also comprising Justices S.A. Bobde, D.Y. Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S. Abdul Nazeer.

The court concluded that the Muslims were ousted from the 1500 square yards of the mosque through acts of damage during communal riots in 1934, desecration in the intervening night of December 22-23 of 1949 when idols were place inside the mosque, and finally, the demolition of the mosque in 1992.

“This court in the exercise of its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution must ensure that a wrong committed must be remedied. Justice would not prevail if the Court were to overlook the entitlement of the Muslims who have been deprived of the structure of the mosque through means which should not have been employed in a secular nation committed to the rule of law,” Chief Justice Gogoi read out from the judgment.

The Supreme Court said the Allahabad High Court’s remedy of a three-way bifurcation of the disputed premises among the Ayodhya deity, Sri Bhagwan Ram Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and the Sunni Central Waqf Board “defied logic”. It did not “secure a lasting sense of peace and tranquillity”.

The judgment nevertheless concluded that the Sunni Central Waqf Board was unable to prove its claim of exclusive title and continuous possession of the disputed site. “The Muslims have offered no evidence to indicate that they were in exclusive possession of the inner structure prior to 1857 since the date of the construction in the sixteenth century,” the court observed.

On the other hand, the court held there was both oral and documentary evidence to support the Hindus’ faith that the Janma Asthan was located where the Babri Masjid was constructed. It was beyond the ken of the court to probe whether this belief was justified. Judges cannot indulge in theology, but restrict themselves to evidence and balance of probabilities.

The court said there was proof of extensive worship offered by the Hindus, especially in the outer courtyard where the Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi are located, even before the annexation of the Oudh by the British in 1857. The Hindus’ possession of the outer courtyard has been established.

Besides, the Supreme Court accepted the version of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that the mosque was not constructed on a vacant land. The ASI had suggested the remains of a large pre-existing structure underneath the Babri mosque which was “non-Islamic” in nature. The ASI had said the artefacts collected from the dig and the pillars of the mosque were of a non-Islamic origin.

The court refrained from arriving at a conclusion on the issue whether the pre-existing structure was demolished to construct the mosque. It said the ASI had also maintained a studied silence, only venturing that the pre-existing structure was used to build the mosque.

The court, however, dismissed the contention raised by the Hindu side that the land, Ram Janam Asthan, was a legal personality just as the minor Ayodhya deity, Ram Lala, was. The court said this claim was a “mirror image” of the Muslim’s claim that the disputed site was waqf property.

 

The court dismissed the Akhara’s petition as time-barred. and rejected its suit claiming shebaiti (managerial rights) over the property. However, the court invoked its extraordinary powers to ask the government to give Nirmohi Akhara, considering the sect’s historical presence at the disputed site, to provide it with an “appropriate role in the management” of the property. 

Published – November 09, 2019 03:37 pm IST

Prayagraj:

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra on Tuesday made an appeal to the devotees of Lord Ram, living in areas nearby Ayodhya to postpone their visit by 15-20 days, to give those from faraway places ‘priority’ in Lord’s darshan, in the wake of unprecedented rush on the auspicious period.

With the onset of Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 26, the holy cities of Ayodhya as well as Varanasi are also witnessing a strong surge of devotees, making it difficult for state administration to effectively manage the situation. Mauni Amavasya snan, slated for January 29 is slated to receive another mammoth stream of pilgrims.

The Ram Temple Trust on Tuesday took to X to shed light on the ‘pressing situation’ due to the huge influx of devotees and urged those in nearby locations to defer their visit to the Ayodhya Dham.

Champat Rai, the Trust chairman wrote, “There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of devotees in Ayodhya ji in the last three days. Looking at the population and size of Ayodhya Dham, it can be said that it is very difficult for such a large number of devotees to have darshan of Ramlala in a day and that is why the devotees are facing problems.”

He added that to prevent any untoward incident, it’s necessary to make appropriate changes in the systems.

“It is our request that the devotees from nearby areas should come to Ayodhya for darshan after 15-20 days so that the devotees coming from far away places can easily have darshan of the Lord. This will provide convenience to everyone,” Champat Rai said, appealing to the devotees.

He further urged the ‘nearby’ devotees to plan a visit after Basant Panchami (February 2) as the weather will also be more pleasant.

Notably, the main bath of Mauni Amavasya is in Kumbh on 29th January in Prayagraj. It is estimated that about 10 crore devotees will take bath in Prayagraj on 29th January. It is expected that devotees will head to Ayodhya after a holy dip in Prayagraj, via train and road.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ayodhya:

Ayodhya witnessed a huge surge of devotees on the Republic Day with more than 25 lakh people visiting the Ram temple, according to a statement.

According to the statement, the devotees are visiting the Ram Lalla temple and the Hanumangarhi temple.

With the Maha Kumbh going on in Prayagraj, the state government had anticipated the possibility of a large number of devotees reaching Ayodhya.

The Janmabhoomi Path, leading to Ram Mandir, and the Bhakti Path and Dharam Path, leading to Hanumangarhi, are witnessing a huge influx of devotees.

Municipal commissioner Santosh Sharma said all arrangements have been made for the visitors.

In view of the crowd, additional police force has been deployed at the Ram temple and Hanumangarhi. Women police personnel have also been deployed.

Police in plain clothes are keeping an eye on suspects.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh):

Security has been heightened in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya on Friday in view of the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.

Police personnel, Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) commando have been deployed to ensure law and order in the city.

Speaking to ANI, Superintendent of Police Security for Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Balachari Dubey said that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), PAC, ATS and Civil Police are deployed for security. He added that attention is being paid to ensure that devotees face no inconvenience.

“In Ayodhya, for security reasons, CRPF, PAC, ATS, and civil police officers are patrolling the area. Vehicles and people are being checked. Attention is being paid to ensure that devotees face no inconvenience.”

Security has also been increased in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district ahead of Friday prayers at Shahi Jama Masjid, following a stone-pelting incident on November 24.

The stone-pelting incident occurred on November 24 during the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASIs) examination of the Mughal-era mosque, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others, including officials and locals.

The ASI survey followed a petition filed in a local court, claiming that the mosque’s site was originally a Harihar temple.

Following the incident, Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders on December 4 tried to visit Sambhal to meet with the relatives of the victims who had died. However, they were stopped by police at the Ghazipur border and were unable to proceed to the violence-hit area of Sambhal. As a result, they returned to Delhi.

The Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992, in Ayodhya by a large group of ‘kar sevaks’.

In the aftermath, many Muslim residences in Ayodhya were ransacked, torched, and destroyed. Riots erupted across various parts of the country, resulting in the deaths of over 1,000 people.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The grand Deepostav celebrations in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya saw over 25 lakh earthen lamps being lit together in an initiative aimed at creating a Guinness record.

The Deepotsav showcased the spiritual, traditional, and cultural essence of the holy city, with performances by artists from six countries — Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia — along with a Ram Leela presentation from Uttarakhand. Additionally, various artists from different states performed at the event.

Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the Deepotsav with an ‘aarti’. He also pulled the chariot on which Ramayan artistes performed.

For this year’s Deepotsav, Saket Mahavidyalaya crafted 18 stunning tableaux, 11 by the Information Department and seven by the Tourism Department.

The Tourism Department’s tableaux depicted scenes from Bal Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundar Kand, Lanka Kand, and Uttar Kand, taken from Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Lakhs of diyas illuminated along the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya as part of the grand #Deepotsav celebration here.#Diwali2024pic.twitter.com/7yd1QxDVZY

— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2024

“This is the first Deepotsav after the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram mandir in Ayodhya and every effort has been made to give grandeur, and divinity to this programme,” Uttar Pradesh Minister Jaiveer Singh had said.

New Delhi:

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has joined the initiative to feed monkey population in Ayodhya, the place associated with Lord Ram.

As per the information shared by Akshay’s team, Akshay not only donated Rs 1 crore to feed the monkeys in Ayodhya, the land of Lord Ram, ahead of Diwali but also paid tribute to his parents and his father-in-law, late veteran star Rajesh Khanna by having their names written on the feeding van.

This initiative is spearheaded by the Anjaneya Sewa Trust under the guidance of Jagatguru Swami Raghavacharya Ji Maharaj.

Founder-trustee of Anjaneya Sewa Trust, Priya Gupta, said they will ensure that people are not inconvenienced.

“I have always known Akshay Kumar to be an extremely kind and generous man be it his staff, his crew or co-actors that work with him or each of his family members. He not only donated instantly and generously, but also he dedicated this great sewa in the name of both his parents Hari Om and Aruna Bhatia and his father-in-law Rajesh Khanna. Akshay is not just a generous donor but also an equally socially conscious citizen of India. He was equally concerned about the citizens and city of Ayodhya and thus we will ensure that no citizen gets inconvenienced while we feed the monkeys and there is no littering on the streets of Ayodhya as a result of feeding the monkeys.”

Meanwhile, on the acting front, Akshay will be seen sharing screen space with Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Singham Again’, which will hit the theatres this Diwali. The cop drama is directed by Rohit Shetty and also stars Arjun Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.

He also has ‘Housefull 5’, ‘Welcome To the Jungle’ and ‘Bhooth Bangla’ in his kitty.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

One person went missing after a boat carrying nine pilgrims capsized on Friday in the Sarayu river in Ayodhya, an official said.

According to the official, while the local divers and SDRF personnel rescued eight persons, a 29-year-old woman identified as Kashish is missing.

“The boat collided with another boat following which it capsized. All those who were onboard the boat wore life jackets. The missing individual also had a life jacket on. Rescue teams are trying to find her,” Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police, Raj Karan Nayyar said.

It has been learned that the incident happened when the boat was trying to make a turn on the river.

Ahmedabad:

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said here on Saturday that his party will defeat the BJP in Gujarat in the next election the same way it did in Ayodhya in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha made the remark while addressing a party workers’ convention in Ahmedabad.

“They (BJP) have challenged us by threatening us and damaging our office. Let me tell you that we are together going to break their government like they damaged our office. Take it in writing that Congress will contest in Gujarat and defeat Narendra Modi and BJP in Gujarat like we did in Ayodhya,” Mr Gandhi said.

Congress will win Gujarat, and make a new start from the state, he said.

He was referring to a clash that broke out between members of both Congress and BJP outside the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Congress’s state headquarters, in Paldi area of Ahmedabad on July 2 after BJP’s youth wing members came there to protest against Mr Gandhi’s remarks on Hindus.

According to police, both sides engaged in stone-pelting, in which five policemen, including an Assistant Commissioner of Police, were injured.

In his speech, the former Congress chief also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP’s defeat from the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, where Ayodhya is located.

“People of Ayodhya felt angry when they found that not a single local person was invited for the Ram Mandir’s inauguration,” he said.

He also claimed that PM Modi wanted to contest from Ayodhya, but his surveyors advised him against doing so saying he will be defeated and his political career will end. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Six months after the grand opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the first round of showers has caused heavy waterlogging in the temple town raising questions over its swift and massive infrastructure overhaul.

The newly built Ram Path road in Ayodhya – which leads to the Ram Temple – has suffered several cave-ins since seasonal rain hit the temple town.

After potholes came up on the 14-km stretch, authorities said they immediately got the road repaired to avoid any inconvenience for the devotees. The Yogi Adityanath government has suspended six civic officials over “gross negligence,” officials said.

Ayodhya mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said that efforts to flush out the rainwater were launched soon after the waterlogging was reported.

Leakage was also reported at the temple after heavy rain at midnight last Saturday. The Chief Priest of the Ram Temple, had on Monday claimed that rainwater that was leaking from the roof of the temple was collecting inside the complex. He also claimed that there was no arrangement to flush out the rainwater from the temple premises.

Rejecting the leakage claims, Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Temple Trust, however, said “not a single drop of water” dripped from the roof, nor had water entered the Sanctum Sanctorum or ‘Garbha Griha’.from anywhere. He also said that “excellent arrangements” have been made at the temple to drain rainwater.

Mr Rai said that while it appeared that water was leaking from the roof, it was in fact coming from a conduit pipe due to ongoing construction work on the first floor of the temple.

Nripendra Misra, chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee, had earlier said that the alleged water leakage at the Ram Mandir was “expected because the Guru Mandap is exposed to the sky” as the construction work was still on, but the water never entered the ‘Garbha Griha’.

“I am in Ayodhya. I saw the rainwater falling from the first floor. This is expected because Guru Mandap is exposed to the sky as the second floor and completion of Shikhar will cover this opening. There is no drainage in the Sanctum Santorum because all the Mandaps have measured slope for clearance of water and the water in Sanctum Santorum is manually absorbed,” Mr Mishra had told ANI on Monday.

The opposition leaders, however, were quick to pounce on the BJP, alleging that there was large scale corruption in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. ”Even the places of worship are sources of loot for the BJP,” UP Congress President Ajay Rai said.

The Ram Temple in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. Considered the birthplace of Lord Ram, Ayodhya’s Ram Temple is one of the holiest sites in Hindusim.

Ayodhya:

Water was leaking from the roof of the sanctum sanctorum at the Ram temple after the first heavy showers since it was opened to the public, its chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said on Monday.

Alleging negligence in the construction of the temple, Acharya Das claimed that there was also no arrangement for the drainage of rainwater from the temple premises after the showers on Saturday midnight and urged the temple authorities to take necessary corrective measures.

After the senior officials were informed about the incident of water leaking from the roof, the chairman of the temple construction committee, Nripendra Mishra, reached the temple and gave instructions to repair the roof and make them waterproof, temple trust sources said.

Speaking separately to reporters about the progress of temple construction, Mr Mishra said that work on the first floor was on and will be finished by July this year, and expressed the hope that the construction of the temple will be completed by December.

Acharya Satyendra Das told reporters there was heavy leakage from the roof of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum in the first heavy showers that occurred at midnight on Saturday. Rainwater was leaking from the roof directly above the place where the priest sits in front of Ram Lalla’s idol and where people come for VIP darshan, he said.

“It is very surprising that engineers from all over the country are building the Ram temple. The temple was inaugurated on January 22. But, no one knew that if it rains, the roof will leak. It is surprising that the roof of a world-famous temple is leaking. Why did this happen?” “Such an incident is happening in the presence of such big engineers, which is very wrong,” he said.

Meanwhile, rains on Saturday night caused severe waterlogging on the Rampath road and its adjoining laneshere. While sewer water entered houses in the area, the Rampath road and other newly constructed roads in Ayodhya caved in at some places.

There was waterlogging from Jalwanpura to Hanumangarhi Bhaktipath and from Tedhi Bazaar to the inner areas, locals said.

Reacting to the sewer water entering houses in the lanes of Rampath during the rain, Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said, “I have started damage control since morning. I have deployed several teams of the municipality to remove water from the houses.” However, attempts to seek the response of top officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) did not fructify.

Meanwhile, the Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in corruption in the temple construction and building of civic facilities in the temple town.

“Be it the coffin of the martyrs or the temple of God, all these have become opportunities for corruption for the BJP. Even the symbols of faith and purity in the country are just opportunities of loot for them,” Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai alleged in a statement on Monday.

“It has become clear from the statement of chief priest Satyendra Das that water is leaking in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple built at a cost of crores due to the first rain and there is no proper drainage system,” he said.

Rai said, “Not only this, the mask of the BJP, which was beating the drum of development of Ayodhya, has come off with the road collapsing at many places on the Rampath built at a cost of Rs 624 crore.” He alleged that the BJP has made Ayodhya a “hub of corruption by getting second-rate construction done in a hurry only to gain electoral benefits”.

“The BJP has only done injustice to the people there by not giving them proper compensation,” he alleged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)