AYODHYA TIMELINE

1528

Mir Baqi, a general of the first Mughal emperor Zahir-ud-Din Babar, builds a mosque in Ayodhya, allegedly at the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram

1853

A Hindu-Muslim clash over the site leaves about 75 dead

1949

Idols of ‘Ram Lalla’ are placed inside the Babri Masjid by a group of people. Government declares the premises as disputed after Muslims protest. The gates of the shrine are locked.

1984

VHP launches Ram Janmabhoomi movement to liberate the site and build a temple there

1986

Feb 1: Faizabad district judge orders opening of the gates, allowing Hindus access to the shrine. Communal tension flares up in various parts of the country. Soon after Babri Masjid Action Committee is launched.

1989

July 10: Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court authorises transfer of all cases from the Faizabad district court to the high court

Nov 9: ‘Shilanyas’ performed adjacent to the disputed shrine

1990

L.K. Advani’s ‘Rath Yatra’ from Somnath to Ayodhya in support of the temple stopped in Bihar

1992

Dec 6: The Babri Masjid demolished by a mob ‘Kar Sevaks’. Communal break out in many parts of the country.

2003

Muslims dispute findings of a court-ordered excavation by Archaeological Survey of India that a structure existed underneath the mosque

2005

Militants attack, the disputed site, using an explosives-laden jeep to blow a hole in the security wall. All militants are killed.

2010

Sep 30: Allahabad HC rules that the disputed land be equally divided between Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the party representing ‘Ram Lalla’

2011

May 9: Supreme Court stays the Allahabad HC order splitting the disputed land in three parts

2019

Aug 6: Five-judge Constitution bench of SC begins day-to-day hearing of the case

Nov 9: Five-judge bench unanimously delivers final judgement. It orders handing over the 2.77 acre disputed land to a trust for building a Ram temple. It also orders the govt to give alternate 5 acre land in Ayodhya to Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque

2020

Feb 5: ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’ trust set up by Government of India for the construction and management of Ram Temple Construction of Ram templeto begin after ‘Bhumi Pujan’