By- Naiteek Bhatt
Almost seven decades after the first court case was filed over the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid dispute in post-independence India, in 2019, the country's Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict paving the way for the construction of Ram Mandir. With the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in the Indian city of Ayodhya just a few days away, let's take a look at the significant events leading up to this momentous occasion.
1528: Babri Masjid was built by Mir Baqi, Commander of Mughal Emperor Babur.
1949: Idols of Ram Lalla placed under a central dome outside the disputed structure. 1950: Gopal Simla Visharad files suit in Faizabad district court for rights to worship the idols of Ram Lalla.
1959: Nirmohi Akhara Files suit seeking possession of the site. 1961: A petitioner files a suit pleading for the restoration of the property to Muslims.
February 1, 1986: Local court orders the government to open the site for Hindu worshippers. December 6, 1992: Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid structure demolished prompting nationwide communal riots.
April 3, 1993: 'Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act' passed for the acquisition of land by the Centre in the disputed area. September 30, 2010: The high Court, in a 2:1 majority, rules the division of the disputed area between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
November 9, 2019: Supreme Court delivers landmark verdict, ending the almost 70-year dispute, and ordering that the disputed 2.77 acres of land be transferred to a trust, to be set up by the Indian government, for the construction of Ram Temple. The apex court also ordered allocating five acres of land to Muslims in Ayodhya for building a mosque
August 5, 2020: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Mandir January 22, 2024: Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla's idol scheduled to take place.