THE HISTORY

OF
RAM MANDIR
HISTORY PROJECT
RAM MANDIR
ABOUT RAM MANDIR
• The Ram Mandir (lit. 'Rama Temple') is a Hindu Temple complex under construction in ,Uttar
Pradesh , India . Many Hindus believe that it is located at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, the
mythical birthplace of Rama, a principal Deity of Hinduism.
• The site is the former location of the Babri Masjid mosque, which was built in the 16th century
CE. The idols of Rama and Sita were placed in the mosque in 1949, before it was Atackked and
demolished. In 2019, the Supreme Court of India delivered the verdict to give the disputed land to
Hindus for construction of a temple, while Muslims were given land nearby in Dhannipurto
construct a MosqueThe court referenced a report from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) as
evidence suggesting the presence of a structure beneath the demolished Babri Masjid, that was
found to be Non – Islamic.
• On 5 August 2020, the bhumi pujan (transl. ground breaking ceremony) for the commencement
of the construction of Ram Mandir was performed by Narendra Modi . On 22 January 2024, Modi
served as the Mukhya Yajman (transl. chief patron) of rituals for the event and performed
the (transl. consecration) of the temple The prana pratishtha ceremony was organised by the Shri
Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.
HISTORY
• The site is the former location of the Babri Masjid, which was built in the 16th century. The idols
of Rama and Sita were placed in the mosque in 1949, before the mosque 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 the construction of a temple, while Muslims would be given land
elsewhere to construct a mosque.[22] 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.[23] The ASI claims were heavily disputed by
critics as contradictory and unreliable,[24][25][26][27][28] but after detailed proceedings, the Supreme
Court accepted the ASI report as valid. The Supreme Court in its landmark judgement concluded
that the underlying structure beneath the mosque was not Islamic and that there was clear
evidence that the disputed site was believed by Hindus to be the Janmabhoomi (birthsite) of
Rama.[29]
ANCIENT
• Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, is a Hindu deity. According to the ancient Indian
epic, Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhya. It is believed the temple was attacked
and destroyed by the first Mughal emperor, Babur, in 1528, in his series of temple
raids across northern India Later, in the same year, under the order of Babur, the
commander of the Mughal Empire, Mir Baqi, constructed a mosque, the Babri
Masjid, in the site of the Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Rama 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.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.
MODERN
• The murtis (transl. sacred images) of Rama and Sita were installed inside the Babri Masjid on the night of
22–23 December 1949 and the devotees began to gather from the next day.[8][37] By 1950, the state took
control of the mosque under section 145 CrPC and allowed Hindus, not Muslims, to perform their worship
at the site.[38]
• In the 1980s, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), belonging to the Hindu nationalist family, Sangh Parivar,
launched a new movement to reclaim the site for Hindus and to erect a temple dedicated to the infant
Rama (Ram Lalla) at this spot. The VHP began to collect funds and bricks with "Jai Shri Ram" written on
them. Later, the government under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi gave the VHP permission
for Shilanyas (transl. the foundation stone ceremony) to proceed, with the then Home Minister, Buta Singh,
formally conveying the permission to the VHP leader, Ashok Singhal. Initially, the Government of
India and Government of Uttar Pradesh had agreed that the shilanyas would be conducted outside of the
disputed site. However, on 9 November 1989, a group of VHP leaders and Sadhus laid the foundation stone
by digging a 200-litre (7-cubic-foot) pit adjacent to the disputed land. The singhdwar (transl. main entrance)
of the sanctum sanctorum was constructed there.[39] The VHP then laid the foundations of a temple on the
land adjacent to the disputed mosque. On 6 December 1992, the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata
Party organised a rally at the site involving 150,000 volunteers, known as karsevaks. The rally turned
violent, the crowd overwhelmed the security forces and tore down the mosque.[40][41]
ARCHITECTURE
• The original design for Ram Mandir was devised in 1988 by the Sompura family of Ahmedabad.[3] The Sompuras have contributed to the design of over
100 temples worldwide for at least 15 generations, including the Somnath temple.[53] The chief architect of the temple was Chandrakant Sompura,
assisted by his two sons, Nikhil Sompura and Ashish Sompura, who are also architects.[54]
• A new design, with some changes from the original, was prepared by the Sompuras in 2020,[54] per the Hindu texts, the Vastu shastra and the Shilpa
shastras.[55] The temple will be 76 metres (250 ft) wide, 120 metres (380 ft) long and 49 metres (161 ft) high.[56] Upon completion, the temple complex
became the world's third largest Hindu temple.[54] It is designed in the Māru-Gurjara architecture of Nagara style, a type of Hindu temple
architecture found primarily in northern India.[53] A model of the proposed temple was showcased during the Prayag Kumbh Mela in 2019.[57]
• The temple's main structure has been built on a raised platform with three storeys. It has five mandapas in the middle of the garbhagriha (sanctum
sanctorum) and on the entrance passage. The Shri Ram Darbar, located on the first floor, comprises five halls – Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap, Sabha
Mandap, Prarthana Mandap, and Kirtan Mandap. In Nagara style, the mandapas are decorated with shikharas.[58][59] Adorned with deity statues, the
temple includes dedicated mandirs for Surya, Bhagwati, Ganesh, and Shiv at the corners. Annapurna and Hanuman temples are on the northern and
southern arms. The foundation features a 14-meter-thick roller-compacted concrete layer resembling artificial rock, with a 21-foot granite plinth for
moisture protection, avoiding iron use. Accessibility is ensured with ramps, lifts, and facilities for the elderly and differently-abled. A pilgrims facility
center for 25,000 people offers medical and locker services. Environmental focus preserves 70% of the 70-acre area as green space, emphasizing water
conservation.[60][61][62]
• The temple has a total of 366 columns. The columns have 16 idols each to include the incarnations of Shiva, the 10 Dashavataras, the Chausath Yoginis,
and the 12 incarnations of the goddess Saraswati. The width of the stairs are 4.9 metres (16 ft). Per scriptures dedicated to the design of temples
dedicated to Vishnu, the sanctum sanctorum is octagonal in shape.[55] The temple covers an area of 4.0 hectares (10 acres), while the remaining 23
hectares (57 acres) of land has been developed into a complex with a prayer hall, a lecture hall, an educational facility and other facilities including a
museum and a cafeteria.[39] According to the temple committee, the site has a capability to handle 70,000 visitors.[63] Larsen & Toubro offered to oversee
the design and construction of the temple free of cost, and became the contractor of the project.[64][65] The Central Building Research Institute, National
Geophysical Research Institute and the Bombay, Guwahati and Madras IITs have assisted in areas such as soil testing, concrete supply and design.[66][67]
DIETY
• Ram Lalla Virajman, the infant form of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, is the presiding
deity of the temple.[70] Ram Lalla's dress was stitched by tailors Bhagwat Prasad and
Shankar Lal, a fourth generation tailor to Rama's idol.[71] Ram Lalla was a litigant in the
court case over the disputed site in 1989, being considered a "juristic person" by the
law.[3] He was represented by Triloki Nath Pandey, a senior VHP leader who was
considered Ram Lalla's closest 'human' friend.[70] According to the temple trust, the
final blueprint included temples dedicated
to Surya, Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, Vishnu and Brahma in the temple grounds.[72] Two
idols of Ram Lalla (one of them being 5 years old) is consecrated in the sanctum of the
temple.[63]
• On 29 December 2023, the selection of the idol of Ram Lalla for the Ram Mandir was
done through a voting process. A sculptor, known for various statues across India
created by him, Arun Yogiraj, from Mysore, Karnataka, created the idol of Rama.[73][74]
[75]
CONSTRUCTIONS
• The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust began the first phase of construction
of the Ram Mandir in March 2020.[76][77] The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in
India caused a temporary suspension of the construction.[78][79] 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.[80] 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.[81]
• It was officially announced by Champat Rai, the General Secretary of the Sri Ram
Janmbhoomi Kshetra Trust, that 22 January 2024 would be the scheduled date for the
installation of the Ram Lalla idol in the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). On 25
October 2023, a formal invitation was extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
attend the ceremony.[82]
BHUMI POOJAN CEREMONY
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing Bhumi Pujan or the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ram Mandir. Also
visible are the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mohan Bhagwat, and the Governor of Uttar
Pradesh, Anandiben Patel.
• The temple construction officially started again after a Bhumi-Pujan (transl. ground breaking ceremony) on 5
August 2020. The three-day long Vedic ritual was held ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony, which revolved
around the installation of a 40 kg (88 pounds) silver brick as the foundation stone by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.[3] On the day before on 4 August, the Ramarchan Puja (transl. Puja of Rama's feet) was performed, in order
to ritually invite all the major deities into the temple.[83]
• On the occasion of the Bhoomi Poojan, soil and holy water were collected from several religious places across
India, such as the Triveni Sangam of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati at Prayagraj, as well as the Kaveri
river from its origin at Talakaveri in Karnataka and the Kamakhya Temple in Assam.[84][85][86] Soil was also sent from
various Hindu temples, gurudwaras and Jain temples across the nation, as well as from the four pilgrimage
locations of Char Dham, to bless the temple.[87][88][89]
• On 5 August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya to seek
blessings of Hanuman for the day's events.[90][91] The groundbreaking ceremony of Ram Mandir took place following
this.[90] The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, Chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mohan
Bhagwat, Chief of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and Chief of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Nritya
Gopal Das and Narendra Modi gave speeches.[90][92][93]
CONSERACATION
• Devotees and visitors celebrating the Prana Pratishtha ceremony outside the
temple on 22 January 2024
• In preparation for the Prana Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony, the Government
of Uttar Pradesh earmarked ₹100 crore (US$13 million) for 'Ramotsav,' a series of
religious events that spanned 826 local bodies across Uttar Pradesh along with
the Ram Paduka Yatra. The events commenced from December 2023, culminated in
the grand celebrations from Makar Sankranti on 16 January 2024, and lasted until
the inauguration of the Ram Mandir on 22 January. The yatra followed the Ram Van
Gaman Path, retracing Rama's 14-year exile from Ayodhya.[109] Prime Minister
Narendra Modi along with RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat, Congress leaders
and leaders from other opposition political parties were invited for attending the
consecration ceremony.[110][111] The guest list also included prominent industrialists,
scientists, actors, army officers, spiritual leaders and Padma awardees.[112][113]
BOOKS
• The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya by Meenakshi
Jain.
• Sunrise over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times by Salman Khurshid.
THANK YOU