India's longest running legal battle comes to a conclusion this week, with the Allahabad High Court's verdict on who owns the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land. Here's all you need to know to discuss the controversy like a pro (which you may just have to since it's the talk of the town)
India's longest running legal battle comes to a conclusion this week, with the Allahabad High Court's verdict on who owns the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land. Here's all you need to know to discuss the controversy like a pro (which you may just have to since it's the talk of the town)
The Babri Masjid was apparently built in 1527 when Babar defeated Hindu King of Chittodgad, Rana Sangrama Singh at Sikri leaving behind his general, Mir Baqi, in charge as Viceroy.
In 1936, the mosque and surrounding land were registered as Waqf No 26 Faizabad with the UP Sunni Central Board of Waqfs. 
On December 22 1949, about 50 people broke in to the mosque to install idols of Ram and Sita, after which the property came under dispute.
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In 1984, the VHP launched a mass movement for the opening of the locks of the mosque, and in 1985 the Rajiv Gandhi government ordered the locks to be removed.
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In 1992, the mosque was razed to the ground by a Hindu mob, resulting in widespread communal riots in which over 2,000 people lost their lives.
Historical greys
In Communal History and SriRama's Ayodhya, historian Ram Sharan Sharma writes, "Ayodhya seems to have emerged as a place of religious pilgrimage in medieval times.
Although chapter 85 of the Vishnu Smriti lists as many as fifty-two places of pilgrimage, including towns, lakes, rivers, mountains, etc., it does not include Ayodhya in this list."
Bhaichaara Trivia
"A whisper from the Babri Masjid Mihrab could be heard clearly at the other end, 60 m away and through
the length and breadth of the central court," says Graham Pickford, architect of the mosque's acoustics, in his book Historic Structures of Oudhe.
One of the mentions of the Mosque's water well was in the Gazette of Faizabad District 1918 which says "There are no significant historical buildings here, except for various Buddhist shrines, the Babri Mosque is an ancient structure with a well which both the Hindus and Mussalmans claim has Miraculous properties."
What
Issues covered by the title suit:
>> Whether the demolished structure was a mosque >> When was it built and by who Babar or Mir Baqi Tashqandi?u00a0>>u00a0Was it built on the site of a demolished Hindu temple? >>u00a0Whether they possessed the property openly and continuously from 1528 to 1949 when they were dispossessed >>u00a0Whether the Hindus have earned the right to pray at the site through adverse and continuous possession >> Whether the idols were placed in the structure on the night of December 22-23, 1949, or whether they had been there before
>> Whether and what relief, if any, the plaintiffs (Muslim organisations) are entitled to
Where
Then: Babri Masjid, Ramkot Hill, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Now: Allahabad High Court. Judges Sibghat Ullah Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and Dharam Veer Sharma will announce the Ayodhya verdict at the court's Lucknow Bench.
When
Then: December 6, 1992. The estimated time for the fall of the first dome at around 2.15 pm. The last and middle dome collapsed at around 4.30 pm.
Now: September 28, 2010.
Who
Then: IPS officer Anju Gupta who was then posted in charge of security for the then BJP President LK Advani, stated in court ''When the first, second and third domes fell, Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Rithambara hugged each other and distributed sweets.u00a0They also hugged men. Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Rithambara expressed happiness by hugging Advani, Joshi and SC Dixit."
Now: Kalyan Singh, ex Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh said on Novemeber 24, 2009 "The Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992 was a day of national pride."
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