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The politicians have had their say. The court will make itself heard on September 24. Sowmya Rajaram and Yolande D'Mello seek five imaginative takes on what should be done with the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid disputed land
A 90 feet x 110 feet piece of land in Northern India has been the centre of one of the most bloody communal disputes in the country over one question: who owns the land on which the Babri masjid once stood? After 16 years, the Ayodhya judgement is expected at 3.30 pm on September 24 by the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench. Claims suggest that the Babri mosque that was built at the site, was done after demolishing a temple dedicated to Hindu God Ram. Hindu litigants argue, this is where Ram Lalla was born.
The case has been an epic of its own in jurisprudence, requiring the court to decide on events measured in history and mythology. The police force has brought in additional enforcements predicting a possible backlash at the verdict, whatever it may be.
In a picture dated December 6, 1992, Hindu fundamentalists wave
banners as they stand on top of a stone wall, celebrating the destruction
of the 16th century Babri masjid in Ayodhya. It was constructed by
order of the first Mughal emperor of India, Babar. The 1992 razing of
the mosque sparked off nationwide Hindu-Muslim riots that left more
than 2,000 people dead. Pic/AFP photo
Walk-through Ramayanland
Prem Sagar
Producer and son of Dr Ramanand Sagar, creator of the original TV epic Ramayan.
Prediction on the verdict: There's no reason why the Ram Mandir shouldn't be built. Excavations have added credibility to the claim that it is Ram's birthplace. Imaginative solution: For Hindus, there are four pious dhaams: Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameshwaran, and Puri. Ayodhya should become the fifth. Why not set up Ramayanland, just like Disneyland? A walk-through theme park that highlights Ram and Sita's qualities, and dishes out gyaan from the wise Raavan. Visitors will meet Vishnu and Shivsagar and find a 100-ft Kumbhakaran dozing in a corner, while shlokas play as ambient music.
Worship commune
Jaya Row
Microbiologist-MBA-turned-founder of Vedanta Vision. Travels the world giving lectures, presenting the ancient wisdom of India in a contemporary fashion.
Prediction on the verdict: It's likely to be postponed indefinitely. Imaginative solution: The issue of Ayodhya is a very complex one, since the time the British ruled India. You can't help but take sides. Historically, we have always had temples and mosques built side-by-side as is the case with Kashi Vishwanath. What we need is for hard-liners on both sides to come to an understanding. Forget historical events. A mature decision can only be made if there is acceptance. Both parties will have to win some, lose some. Just as East and West Germany came to an understanding, we need to too. The Ayodhya site can be one where both religions may worship.
Gift a slice, or stay put with cake
Anand Patwardhan
Documentary filmmaker known for socially relevant cinema. Made Ram Ke Naam, a film on the Ayodhya issue.
Prediction on the verdict: No comments.
Imaginative solution: India became a sovereign democracy in 1947, with a Constitution that holds every person equal before the law. If you argue that another structure existed under the structure I currently own, some 500 years ago, does that nullify my property rights today? The law needs to be obeyed regardless of religion. Give back the land to those it rightfully belonged to in independent India. If the Muslims who control the property want to be magnanimous and allow a part of the land to be offered to Ram devotees, that is their prerogative. It must not be usurped by force.
Property dispute court
Devdutt Pattanaik
Mumbai-based mythologist and author who makes sacred stories, symbols and rituals relevant to modern times.
Prediction on the verdict: No comments. Imaginative solution: I would like the site to turn into a Property Dispute Court; its walls decorated with images of dogs fighting over bones. Here, families will be allowed to scream at each other. Their rage will be video-taped and relayed back to them, to the sound of nursery rhymes, till they are exhausted into reaching a settlement. There will be special rooms for those who consider themselves victims, and for victimisers, which will always be empty. The idea is to remind everyone that humans are supposed to outgrow the animal instinct. Emotional maturity and generosity is at the heart of human evolution, not wallowing in victim-hood.
Temple looked after by Muslims
Dr Manish Pandit
UK-based scientist, astrologer and filmmaker. His film Krishna: History or Myth created quite the buzz on the Internet.
Prediction on the verdict: My fear is that a tame decision to maintain status quo will be taken. Imaginative solution: Reports by the Archaeological Survey of India are clear: A temple dating to at least the 10th century AD with the original provenance of the structure going to the 1st millennium BC, exists at the disputed site, below the foundations of the disputed structure. So, people who were initially in favour of a temple on the basis of faith, now have evidence to support it. I hope prominent individuals from the Muslim community come forth with a gesture that will assuage and soothe sentiments, such as offering to build a temple at the site for their Hindu brothers. Maybe, even looking after the upkeep, if they wish. After all, such a religious tradition exists in India. There are religious sites, like Shirdi, where Muslims and Hindus offer homage. Such a plan would take the steam out of fringe elements on both sides.
Controversy in numbers
1855: Hindus and Muslims clash over possession of the mosque. Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabootara were apparently built around this time
1949: Hindus place an idol of Ram inside the mosque, after which the premises were locked
1959: Nirmohi Akhara and Mahant Raghunath file a case, claiming to be the sect responsible for conducting puja
1961: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, UP, files a case claiming the mosque and surrounding land was a graveyard
1986: On a petition of Hari Shanker Dubey, a judge directs masjid gates be unlocked for darshan. Babri Masjid Action Committee is formed
1989: Former VHP vice-president Justice Deoki Nandan Agarwal asks for the mosque to be shifted
2002: High Court directs the Archaeological Survey of India to excavate the site to determine if a temple lay underneath
2010: Hearings end in July. Justice BD Sharma is set to retire on October 1. A judgment is expected before that | 
