RESEARCH PROJECT

ON

Role of Accommodation
Management in Patna
Gurudwara

SUBMITTED BY

NAME

ROLL NO.- XXXXX

 CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

STUDENT CERTIFICATE

The work embodied in this project entitled. “Role of Accommodation Management in

Patna Gurudwara” has been carried out under the supervision of
……………………………….; this work is original & has been submitted by me for the
award of any other degree to this or any other university.

DATE…………………… NAME……………………….

PLACE…………………. SIGN………………………..

CERTIFICATE OF PROJECT GUIDE

I hereby certify that the Candidate NAME, YEAR, has planned and conducted the

research study entitled “Role of Accommodation Management in Patna Gurudwara”

under my supervision and report submitted here with is a bonafide work done by the

candidate in IHM.

DATE…………………… NAME……………………….

PLACE…………………. SIGN………………………..

SIGNATURE

(PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I feel immense pleasure and heartfelt gratitude in presenting my dissertation, sincerely

thank all those who inspired me, either directly or indirectly to complete my project as
per schedule.

I would like to thank our PRINCIPLE, ………………………, for this immense help in
the completion of the project and all faculty members of college for their valuable support
in providing suggestions and guidance.

I would also like to thank ……………….and ……………………for their immense help

in completion of the project.

I owe debt of gratitude to ………………….. for providing me constant sources of

inspiration and guidance during the course of my study.

I would also like to thank all of my friends who motivated me during the course of
research.
 INDEX

Sl.No CHAPTERS Pg. No

1 INTRODUCTION
STATEMENT OF THE
2 PROBLEM
3 NEED OF PROJECT
REVIEW OF
4 LITERATURE
RESEARCH
5 METHODOLOGY
6 DATA COLLECTION
7 DATA ANALYSIS
8 LIMITATIONS
9 CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY&
10 WEBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION

Ayodhya also known as Saketa,is an ancient city of India, believed to be the birthplace of
Rama and setting of the epic Ramayana. It is adjacent to Faizabad city in the central region
of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya used to be the capital of the ancient Kosala
Kingdom. It has an average elevation of 93 meters (305 feet).

Owing to the belief as the birthplace of Rama, Ayodhya (Awadh) has been regarded as
one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites (Saptapuri) for Hindus. It is believed
that the birth spot of Rama was marked by a temple, which was demolished by the orders
of the Mughal emperor Babur and a mosque erected in its place.

The word "Ayodhya" is a regularly formed derivation of the Sanskrit verb yudh, "to fight,
to wage war". Yodhya is the future passive participle, meaning "to be fought"; the initial
a is the negative prefix; the whole therefore means "not to be fought" or, more
idiomatically in English, "invincible". This meaning is attested by the Atharvaveda,
which uses it to refer to the unconquerable city of gods.The 9th century Jain poem Adi
Purana also states that Ayodhya "does not exist by name alone but by the merit" of being
unconquerable by enemies. Satyopakhyana interprets the word slightly differently, stating
that it means "that which cannot be conquered by sins" (instead of enemies).

"Saketa" is the older name for the city, attested in Buddhist, Jain, Sanskrit, Greek and
Chinese sources. According to Vaman Shivram Apte, the word "Saketa" is derived from
the Sanskrit words Saha (with) and Aketen (houses or buildings). According to Hans T.
Bakker, the word may be derived from the roots sa and ketu ("with banner"). The Adi
Purana states that Ayodhya is called Saketa "because of its magnificent buildings which
had significant banners as their arms".
Ayodhya was stated to be the capital of the ancient Kosala kingdom in the Ramayana.
Hence it was also referred to as "Kosala". The Adi Purana states that Ayodhya is famous
as su-kośala "because of its prosperity and good skill".

The cities of Ayutthaya (Thailand), and Yogyakarta (Indonesia), are named after
Ayodhya.

According to ancient legends mentioned in Puranas, Manu, the progenitor of mankind,

founded the city of Ayodhya and gave it to Ikshvaku to rule. Atharvaveda used the term
to refer to the mythical city of gods with eight circles and nine entrances.

Valmiki's Ramayana, based on traditions dated to the fifth century BCE, centres its tale
in a city called Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala. It was ruled by king Dasaratha, who is
said to have been a descendant of Ikshvaku. Rama, his son, exiled to forests, returns to
the city after several travails, and establishes an ideal rule in the kingdom. According to
Uttara Kanda, a later addition to the Ramayana, Rama divides the kingdom into North
and South Kosala at the end of his reign, with respective capitals at Shravasti and
Kusavati, and installs his two sons (Lava and Kusa) to rule them.[8] Rama himself enters
the waters of the Sarayu river, along with all the inhabitants of the city, and ascends to
heaven. The location of this mass suicide was the Gopratara Tirtha, according to the
Mahabharata. A persistent local tradition states that Ayodhya became desolate after
Rama's ascent to heaven and a "King Vikramaditya" of Ujjain revived it around 50 BCE.
(In Raghuvamsa, Kalidasa narrates that Rama's son Kusa revived it.)

A verse in the Brahmanda Purana names Ayodhya among "the most sacred and foremost
cities", the others being Mathura, Haridvara, Kashi, Kanchi and Avantika. This verse is
also found in the other Puranas with slight variations. In Garuda Purana, Ayodhya is said
to be one of seven holiest places for Hindus in India, with Varanasi being the most
sacrosanct.

Several other literary works based on the story of Rama also mention Ayodhyua. These
include the Abhisheka and Pratimanataka by the poet Bhāsa (dated 2nd century CE or
earlier), and the Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa (c. 5th century CE). The name "Ayodhya"
appears as "Ayojjha" in Samyutta Nikaya and Ghata Jataka, where it is mentioned as the
capital of King Kalasena. Buddhaghosha also refers to the construction of a vihara
(monastery) in "Ayujjha-pura".

According to the Jain tradition, five tirthankaras were born at Ayodhya, including
Rishabhanatha (first Tirthankara), Ajitanatha (second Tirthankara),Abhinandananatha
(fourth Tirthankara),Sumatinatha (fifth Tirthankara), and Anantanatha (fourteenth
Tirthankara). According to Jain traditional accounts, Ayodhya was the birthplace of the
first Jain Tirthankar Rushabhdev.

Ram Janmabhoomi (literally, "Rama's birthplace") is the name given to the site that many
Hindus believe to be the birthplace of Rama, the 7th avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu.

The Ramayana states that the location of Rama's birthplace is on the banks of the Sarayu
river in the city of Ayodhya. A section of Hindus claim that the exact site of Rama's
birthplace is where the Babri Masjid once stood in the present-day Ayodhya, Uttar
Pradesh. According to this theory, the Mughals demolished a Hindu shrine that marked
the spot, and constructed a mosque in its place. People opposed to this theory state that
such claims arose only in the 18th century, and that there is no evidence for the spot being
the birthplace of Rama.

The political, historical and socio-religious debate over the history and location of the
Babri Mosque, and whether a previous temple was demolished or modified to create it, is
known as the Ayodhya dispute.

In 1992, the demolition of Babri Masjid by Hindu nationalists triggered widespread

Hindu-Muslim violence. Since then, the archaeological excavations have indicated the
presence of a temple beneath the mosque rubble.

As of the 2001 India census, Ayodhya had a population of 49,593. Males constitute 59%
of the population and females 41%. Ayodhya has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher
than the national average of 59.5%; with 72% of the males and 62% of females literate.
12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical and socio-religious debate in India, centred
on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, located in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. The
main issues revolve around access to a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the
birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the
site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the
mosque.

The Babri Mosque was destroyed during a political rally which turned into a riot on 6
December 1992. A subsequent land title case was lodged in the Allahabad High Court,
the verdict of which was pronounced on 30 September 2010. In the landmark hearing, the
three judges of The Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres (1.12 ha) of Ayodhya
land be divided into 3 parts, with 1/3 going to the Ram Lalla or Infant Rama represented
by the Hindu Maha Sabha for the construction of the Ram temple, 1/3 going to the Islamic
Sunni Waqf Board and the remaining 1/3 going to a Hindu religious denomination
Nirmohi Akhara. While the three-judge bench was not unanimous that the disputed
structure was constructed after demolition of a temple, it did agree that a temple or a
temple structure predated the mosque at the same site. The excavations by the
Archaeological Survey of India were heavily used as evidence by the court that the
predating structure was a massive Hindu religious building.

Ram Janmabhoomi

The Ayodhya debate centres around the land known today as Ram Janmabhoomi, on
which the Babri Mosque was built in 1528. In the Ramayana, Ayodhya is the birthplace
of the god-king Rama, the son of Dasharatha, the ruler of Ayodhya, and his queen
Kausalya. He is worshiped by many Hindus as an Avatar, or incarnation, of Vishnu.

According to the Garuda Purana, a Hindu religious text, Ayodhya is one of seven sacred
sites where Moksha, or a final release from the cycle of death and rebirth, may be
obtained.

Babri Masjid

In 1525, the Mughal king Babur invaded north India, and conquered a substantial part of
northern India. One of his generals, Mir Baqi came to Ayodhya in 1528 and after
reportedly destroying a pre-existing temple of Rama at the site, built a mosque, which has
come to be called masjid-i-janmasthan (mosque at the birthplace) as well as Babri Masjid
(Babur's mosque). The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in Uttar Pradesh, a
state in India with considerable Muslim population. Both the Hindus and Muslims are
said to have worshipped at the "mosque-temple," Muslims inside the mosque and Hindus
outside the mosque but inside the compound. After the British took over the State, they
put up a railing between the two areas to prevent disputes.

Historical background

Gupta period

In Buddha's time (600 B.C.) the present day Ayodhya was called Saketa and it was one
of the 6 largest cities of North India. During the Gupta times, either Kumaragupta or
Skandagupta made it their capital, after which it came to be called Ayodhya. Kalidasa
wrote Raghuvamsa here, and referred to Gopratara tirtha (Guptar Ghat), where Rama was
believed to have entered the waters of Saryu in his ascent to heaven. According to a local
tradition recorded by Francis Buchanan and Alexander Cunningham, Ayodhya became
desolate after Rama's ascent to heaven and "Vikramaditya" revived it. (In Raghuvamsa,
Rama's son Kusa revived it.) Prabhavatigupta, the daughter of Chandragupta II, was a
Rama devotee. Her son, Pravarasena II wrote Sethubandha, in which Rama was regarded
as identical to Vishnu. He also built a temple to Rama at Pravarapura (Paunar near
Ramtek) in about 450 A.D.

Gahadavala period

After the Guptas, the capital of North India moved to Kannauj and Ayodhya fell into
relative neglect. It was revived by the Gahadavalas, coming to power in the 11th century
A.D. The Gahadavalas were Vaishnavas. They built several Vishnu temples in Ayodhya,
five of which survived till Aurangzeb's reign.[14] Indologist Hans T. Bakker concludes
that there might have been a temple at the supposed birth spot of Rama built by the
Gahadavalas. In subsequent years, the cult of Rama developed within Vaishnavism, with
Rama being regarded as the foremost avatar of Vishnu. Consequently, Ayodhya's
importance as a pilgrimage centre grew. In particular, multiple versions of Ayodhya
Mahatmya (magical powers of Ayodhya) prescribed the celebration of Ram Navami (the
birthday of Rama).

Mughal period

In modern times, a mosque was located at the supposed birth spot of Rama, which sat on
a large mound in the centre of Ayodhya, called the Ramadurg or Ramkot (the fort of
Rama). The mosque bore an inscription stating that it was built in 1528 A.D. by Mir Baqi
on the orders of Babur.

According to an early 20th century text by Maulvi Abdul Ghaffar and the surrounding
historical sources examined by historian Harsh Narain,[note 2] the young Babur came
from Kabul to Awadh (Ayodhya) in disguise, dressed as a Qalandar (Sufi ascetic),
probably as part of a fact-finding mission. Here he met the Sufi saints Shah Jalal and
Sayyid Musa Ashiqan and took a pledge in return for their blessings for conquering
Hindustan. The pledge is not spelled out in the 1981 edition of Abdul Ghaffar's book, but
it is made clear that it is in pursuance of this pledge that he got the Babri mosque
constructed after conquering Hindustan.The original book was written in Persian by
Maulvi Abdul Karim, a spiritual descendant of Musa Ashiqan, and it was translated into
Urdu by Abdul Ghaffar, his grandson, with additional commentary. The older editions of
Abdul Ghaffar's book contain more detail, which seems to have been excised in the 1981
edition. Lala Sita Ram of Ayodhya, who had access to the older edition in 1932, wrote,
"The faqirs answered that they would bless him if he promised to build a mosque after
demolishing the Janmasthan temple. Babur accepted the faqirs' offer and returned to his
homeland."

The fact that Babur came in the guise of a Qalandar is corroborated in Abdullah's Tarikh-
i Dawudi, where it is detailed that he met the Sultan Sikandar Lodhi in Delhi in the same
disguise.The inscription on the Babri mosque also names him as Babur Qalandar. Musa
Ashiqan's grave is situated close to the Babri mosque site, whose shrine uses two of the
same type of black basalt columns used in the Babri mosque, indicative of his role in the
destruction of the prior temple.

While we have had a mosque bearing an inscription to the effect that it was built on orders
of Babur in 1528, there are no other records of the mosque from this period. The
Babarnama (Chronicles of Babur) does not mention either the mosque or the destruction
of a temple.Tulsidas, who began writing the Ramcharit Manas in Ayodhya on Rama's
birthday in 1574 (coming there from his normal residence in Varanasi) mentioned the
"great birthday festival" in Ayodhya but made no mention of a mosque at Rama's
birthplace.Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak (1551–1602), who wrote Akbarnama, completing the
third volume Ain-i Akbari in 1598, described the birthday festival in Ayodhya, the
"residence of Rama" and the "holiest place of antiquity", but made no mention of a
mosque. William Finch, the English traveller that visited Ayodhya around 1611, and
wrote about the "ruins of the Ranichand [Ramachand] castle and houses" where Hindus
believed the great God "took flesh upon him to see the tamasha of the world." He found
pandas (Brahmin priests) in the ruins of the fort, who were recording the names of the
pilgrims, a practice that was said to go back to antiquity. Again there was no mention of
a mosque in his account.

Late Mughal period

The first known report of a mosque appears in a book Sahifa-I-Chihil Nasaih Bahadur
Shahi, said to have been written by a daughter of the emperor Bahadur Shah I (1643–
1712) and granddaughter of emperor Aurangzeb, in the early 18th century. It mentioned
mosques having been constructed after demolishing the "temples of the idolatrous Hindus
situated at Mathura, Banaras and Awadh etc." Hindus are said to have called these
demolished temples in Awadh "Sita Rasoi" (Sita's kitchen) and "Hanuman's abode."
While there was no mention of Babur in this account, the Ayodhya mosque had been
juxtaposed with those built by Aurangzeb at Mathura and Banaras.

Jai Singh II (popularly called "Sawai Jai Singh", 1688-1743) purchased land and
established Jaisinghpuras in all Hindu religious centres in North India, including Mathura,
Vrindavan, Banaras, Allahabad, Ujjain and Ayodhya. The documents of these activities
have been preserved in the Kapad-Dwar collection in the City Palace Museum in Jaipur.
Professor R. Nath, who has examined these records, concludes that Jai Singh had acquired
the land of Rama Janmasthan in 1717. The ownership of the land was vested in the deity.
The hereditary title of the ownership was recognized and enforced by the Mughal State
from 1717. He also found a letter from a gumastha Trilokchand, dated 1723, stating that,
while under the Muslim administration people had been prevented from taking a ritual
bath in the Saryu river, the establishment of the Jaisinghpura has removed all
impediments.

The Jesuit priest Joseph Tieffenthaler, who visited Awadh in 1766-1771, wrote, "Emperor
Aurangzebe got the fortress called Ramcot demolished and got a Muslim temple, with
triple domes, constructed at the same place. Others say that it was constructed by 'Babor'.
Fourteen black stone pillars of 5 span high, which had existed at the site of the fortress,
are seen there. Twelve of these pillars now support the interior arcades of the mosque."
This ambiguity between Aurangzeb and Babur could be significant. Tieffenthaler also
wrote that Hindus worshipped a square box raised 5 inches above the ground, which was
said to be called the "Bedi, i.e., the cradle." "The reason for this is that once upon a time,
here was a house where Beschan [Vishnu] was born in the form of Ram." He recorded
that Rama's birthday was celebrated every year, with a big gathering of people, which
was "so famous in the entire India.
 NEED OF PROJECT

Understand the religious, political and tourist standpoint of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya also served as the birth place of five Tirthankars, including the first Tirthankar
of Jainism, Shri Rishabh Dev, known as the father of Jain religion. The city displays
evidence of its importance in the history and heritage of Buddhism in India, with several
Buddhist temples, monuments and centers of learning having been established here
during the age of the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Dynasty. Ayodhya reached the
peak of its golden age during the reign of the Guptas over India.

Bhagwan Swaminarayan, founder of the Swaminarayan Sect of Hinduism, lived here

during his childhood years. Bhagwan Swaminarayan started his seven year journey
across India as Neelkanth in Ayodhya. Tulsidas began to write his famous Ramayana
poem Shri Ramacharitamanas in Ayodhya in 1574 C.E. Several Tamil Alwar mention
the city of Ayodhya. Ayodhya had been the birthplace of Bhahubali, Brahmi, Sundari,
King Dasaratha, Acharya Padaliptasurisvarji, King Harishchandra, Shri Rama,
Achalbhrata, and the ninth Gandhara of Mahavir Swami.

The Atharva Veda called Ayodhya "a city built by gods and being as prosperous as
paradise itself." Ayodhya had been the victim of pillage and sacking during the
Ghaznavid raids and Ghorid invasions. Some Hindu temples had been looted and
destroyed. Some believe that the Babri Mosque had been constructed on the remains of
a temple, but that claim remains controversial. With Muslim rulers established around
the city under Mohammed of Ghor, it lost its strategic and economic importance to
Lucknow and Kanpur.

According to an eleventh century Korean chronicle the Samguk Yusa, the wife of King
Suro of the ancient Korean kingdom of Geumgwan Gaya had been a princess who
traveled by boat from a faraway land called Ayuta to Korea in 48 C.E. The common
view has been that the Korean chronicles refer to Ayodha, but some scholars believe
that the foreign land may have been Ayutthaya of Thailand. The Koreans know the
princess as Heo Hwang-ok, the first queen of Geumgwan Gaya considered an ancestor
by several Korean lineages.

Ayodhya serves as the center of the Ayodhya Debate concerning the Ram Janmabhoomi
temple and the Babri Mosque. The first Mughal emperor of India, Babur, constructed
the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in the sixteenth century. The mosque took on the name
Masjid-i Janmasthan ("mosque of the birthplace") before the 1940s. The mosque stood
on the Ramkot ("Rama's fort") hill (also called Janamsthan ("birthplace"). According
Hindus scholars, it had been built on the birthplace of the deity Rama after the Mughal
rulers demolished the Ram Mandir ("Temple of Rama") on its location as they had done
to many other temples around India. Hindu activists, in turn, destroyed the mosque in a
riot on December 6, 1992.

Many Indian observers see the controversy surrounding the mosque within the
framework of Hindu fundamentalism and Hindu Revivalism. A debate has been
engaging the Hindu community concerning the place where Moslem constructed the
Babri Mosque. On the one hand, some contend that the mosque stood on an ancient
Hindu temple ground. The Encyclopædia Britannica of 1989 reported that the Babri
Mosque stood "on a site traditionally identified" as an earlier temple dedicated to
Rama's birthplace. ("Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Moghul
emperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple," 1989 edition of the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, entry "Ayodhya.")

According to that view, the ancient temple could have been destroyed on the orders of
Mughal emperor Babur. Thousands of Hindu temples had been destroyed by Islamic
invaders for both political and religious reasons. No surviving temple structure in the
ancient and holy Hindu places of Varanasi and Mathura date prior to the seventeenth
century.[6] The Hindu Nationalist movement has been pressing for reclaiming three of
its most holy sites which had been suffered sacrilege at the hands of Islam—at
Ayodhya, Mathura, and Varanasi. On the other hand, some argue that although the
judiciary has been debating on the dispute of Babri Masjid (mosque) in Ayodhya for
more than 40 years, and that it had remained a non-issue until the mid-1980s.

A legal case continues over who owns the title for deed of the a government controlled
property. While the Muslim parties have agreed to hand over the land (not unlike the
Masjid Shahidganj case in Lahore where the Sikhs) received the Gurudwara if proven
that the Ramjanmbhumi (that is, Ram was born on this site) temple existed.The Hindu
side wants Parliament to pass a law mandating construction of the Hindu temple,
arguing a court of law cannot decide an issue of faith concerning the existence of Ram
Janmabhoomi.

Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul praised Hindu Nationalists for "reclaiming India's Hindu
heritage.” He further added that the destruction of Babri mosque had been an act of
historical balancing and the repatriation of the Ramjanmabhoomi had been a "welcome
sign that Hindu pride was re-asserting itself." Kar Sevaks and rioters destroyed the
mosque in 1992 spurned by the belief that the Ram Janmabhoomi existed prior to the
mosque's construction and that the temple had been the birthplace of Rama. The title
suit on the disputed site awaits, pending, in the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High
Court.

On July 5, 2005, five militants attacked the site of the makeshift Ramlalla temple, in
Ayodhya. Security forces guarding the area shot all five in the ensuing gunfight, and
one civilian died in the bomb blast triggered by the terrorists to breach the cordon wall.
The claim of police that the militants came from Pakistan remains uncorroborated by
independent evidence. The reason for the attack remains a mystery.
 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Historically, Saketa is known to have been an important city of Ancient India by the 6th
century B.C.E. During the Buddha's time it was ruled by Pasenadi (Sanskrit: Prasenajit),
whose capital was at Sravasti. Saketa continued its prominence during the Maurya rule
and suffered an attack around 190 BCE by a Bactrian Greek expedition allied to
Panchala and Mathura. After the fall of the Maurya and Shunga dynasties, the city came
under the rule of the Deva dynasty and Datta kings. An inscription found at Ayodhya
refers to a king Dhanadeva, who claimed to be the sixth descendant of Pushyamitra
Shunga.

Śāketa was conquered by the Kushan/Yuezhi Emperor Kanishka c. 127 CE, who made
it administrative center of his eastern territories.

Under the Gupta rulers, Ayodhya reached its highest political importance. The Chinese
pilgrim Faxian visited the city in the 5th century CE, referring to it as "Sha-chi". During
the reign of Kumaragupta or Skandagupta, the capital of the empire was moved from
Pataliputra to Ayodhya. The old name "Saketa" was replaced by "Ayodhya," and firmly
identified as Rama's capital city. By the time of the visit of the Chinese pilgrim monk,
Xuanzang, c. 636 CE, the city was known as Ayodhya.

After the Gupta Empire was ravaged by the Huns, the political centre of North India
shifted to Kanauj in the 6th century, and Ayodhya fell into relative oblivion. According
to Indologist Hans T. Bakker, the only religious significance of Ayodhya in the first
millennium CE was related to the Gopratara tirtha (now called Guptar Ghat). The
legendary epic Mahabharata, which mentions Ayodhya as the capital of Ikshavaku
kings, states that Rama and his followers ascended to heaven by entering the Sarayu
river at the Goparatara.

Early medieval period

In the 11th century, the Gahadavala dynasty came to power in the region, and promoted
Vaishnavism. They built several Vishnu temples in Ayodhya, five of which survived till
the end of Aurangzeb's reign. Hans Bakker concludes that there might have been a
temple at the supposed birth spot of Rama built by the Gahadavalas (see Vishnu Hari
inscription). In subsequent years, the cult of Rama developed within Vaishnavism, with
Rama being regarded as the foremost avatar of Vishnu. Consequently, Ayodhya's
importance as a pilgrimage centre grew.

In 1226 CE, Ayodhya became the capital of the province of Awadh (or "Oudh") within
the Delhi sultanate. Muslim historians state that the area was little more than wilderness
prior to this. Pilgrimage was tolerated, but the tax on pilgrims ensured that the temples
did not receive much income.

Mughal and British period

Under Mughal rule, the Babri mosque was constructed in Ayodhya. The city was the
capital of the province of Awadh, which is also believed to be a variant of the name
"Ayodhya." During the British Raj the city was known as Ajodhya or Ajodhia and was
part of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It was also the seat of a small 'talukdari'
state.

After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 CE, the central Muslim rule weakened, and
Awadh became virtually independent, with Ayodhya as its capital. However, the rulers
became increasingly dependent on the local Hindu nobles, and control over the temples
and pilgrimage centers was relaxed. Saadat Ali Khan, Nawab of Awadh, bestowed the
riyasat (principality) of Ayodhya on his loyal Brahmin soldier Dwijdeo Mishra of the
Kasyapa gotra, for quelling revenue rebels in Mehendauna in Eastern UP.

Ayodhya was annexed in 1856 by the British rulers. The rulers of Awadh were Shia,
and the Sunni groups had already protested against the permissive attitude of the former
government. The British intervened and crushed the Sunni resistance. In 1857, the
British annexed Oudh (Awadh) and subsequently reorganized it into the United
Provinces of Agra and Oudh.
In the 1850s, a group of Hindus attacked the Babri mosque, on the grounds that it was
built over the birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama. To prevent further disputes, the
British administrators divided the mosque premises between Hindus and Muslims.

Independent India

A movement was launched in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad party to reclaim the
Babri mosque site for a Rama temple. In 1992, a right wing Hindu nationalist rally
progressed into a riot, leading to the demolition of the Babri mosque. Now, there is a
makeshift mandir at Ram Janmabhoomi with a Ram Lalla, representing Rama as a
child, smiling over a blooming lotus. Under Indian government no one was permitted
near the site for 200 yards, and the gate was locked to the outside. Hindu pilgrims,
however, began entering through a side door to offer puja.

In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out an excavation at the
mosque site to determine if it was built over the ruins of a temple. The excavation
uncovered a variety of objects, including a 12-foot (3.7 m) statue of Lord Hanuman and
coins dating to early historic times and other historic objects. The ASI concluded that an
ancient temple had been demolished or modified to create the Babri Mosque under
Babur. Besides Hindus, the Buddhist and Jain representatives claimed that their temples
existed at the excavated site.

On 5 July 2005, five Muslim terrorists attacked the site of the makeshift Ramlalla
temple in Ayodhya. All five were killed in the ensuing gunfight with security forces,
and one civilian died in the bomb blast triggered as they attempted to breach the cordon
wall.

On 30 September 2010, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ruled that one-
third of the disputed land should be given to the Sunni Muslim Central Board of Waqfs,
one-third to the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the Hindu party for the shrine of "Ram
Lalla" (infant Rama). The court further ruled that the area where the idols of Ram are
present be given to Hindus in the final decree, while the rest of the land shall be divided
equally by metes and bounds among the three parties.

Some South Koreans have identified the "Ayuta" mentioned in their ancient
Samgungnyusa legend with Ayodhya. According to this legend, the ancient Korean
princess Heo Hwang-ok came from Ayuta. In the 2000s, the local government of
Ayodhya and South Korea acknowledged the connection and held a ceremony to raise a
statue of the princess.

Places of interest

Hanuman garhi Fort

Hanuman Garhi, a massive four-sided fort with circular bastions at each corner and a
temple of Hanuman inside, is the most popular shrine in Ayodhya. Situated in the center
of town, it is approachable by a flight of 76 steps. Its legend is that Hanuman lived here
in a cave and guarded the Janambhoomi, or Ramkot. The main temple contains the
statue of Maa Anjani with Bal Hanuman seated on her lap. The faithful believe wishes
are granted with a visit to the shrine. Kanak Bhawan is a temple said to have been given
to Sita and Rama by Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi as a wedding gift, and only contains
statues of Sita with her husband.

Ramkot

Ramkot is the main place of worship in Ayodhya, and the site of the ancient citadel of
its namesake, standing on elevated ground in the western city. Although visited by
pilgrims throughout the year, it attracts devotees from all over the world on "Ram
Navami", the day of the birth of Rama. Ram Navami is celebrated with great pomp in
the Hindu month of Chaitra, which falls between March and April. Swarg Dwar is
believed to be the site of cremation of Rama. Mani Parbat and Sugriv Parbat are ancient
earth mounds, the first identified by a stupa built by the emperor Ashoka, and the
second is an ancient monastery. Treta ke Thaku is a temple standing at the site of the
Ashvamedha Yajnya of Rama. Three centuries prior, the Raja of Kulu built a new
temple here, which was improved by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1784, the same time
the adjacent Ghats were built. The initial idols in black sandstone were recovered from
Sarayu and placed in the new temple, which was known as Kaleram-ka-Mandir. Chhoti
Devkali Mandir is the temple of goddess Ishani, or Durga, Kuldevi of Sita.

Nageshwarnath Temple

The temple of Nageshwarnath was established by Kush, son of Rama. Legend has it that
Kush lost his armlet while bathing in the Sarayu, and it was retrieved by a Nag-Kanya
who fell in love with him. As she was a devotee of Shiva, Kush built her this temple. It
was the only temple to survive when Ayodhya was abandoned until the time of
Vikramaditya. While the rest of city was in ruin and covered by dense forest, this
temple allowed Vikramaditya to recognize the city. The festival of Shivratri is
celebrated here with great splendor.

Chakravarti Mahraj Dashrath Mahal

Chakravarti Mahraj Dashrath Mahal, known as Bada Asthan and Badi Jagah, is at
Ramkot Ayodhya Faizabad Uttar Pradesh. It open for public from 8 am to 12 noon and
4 pm to 10 pm. every day. Ram Vivah, Deepawali, Shravan Mela, Chaitra Ramnavami
and Kartik Mela are special occasions when number of devotees increases manifold.
Dotted with so many religious places and shrines, in Ayodhya is a venerated place that
has been revered by all, fraction of Hindu religious. This holy place is associated with
Lord Ram, the hero of the great epic Ramayana. All the places in Ayodhya is somehow
related to this legendary ruler who is regarded as an icon of virtue, truth and devotion.

Chakravarti Maharaja Dasrath Mahal is not an exception to this common phenomenon.

It where Maharaja Dasharatha is believed to reside with his kith and kin. Now the place
houses a temple, which depicts Ram, Sita and Lakshmana Bharat Shatrughan as the
chief deities. Though the shrine is not much bigger in size, its environment provide such
serene and tranquil feeling that the devotee would be able to sense the presence of the
Lord Ram.

Other places of interest

Darbarji Durgakali temple

Angad Tila

Shri Rama Janaki Birla Temple

Tulsi Smarak Bhawan

Ram ki Paidi

Kaleramji ka Mandir

Datuvan Kund

Janki Mahal

Gurudwara Brahma Kund

Rishabhadeo Jain Temple

Brahma Kund

Amawan Temple

Tulsi Chaura

Laxman Quila

Ram Katha Museum

Valmiki Ramayan Bhawan

Mandir Sunder Sadan (in front of controversial site)

Kalhareshwar Mahadev Temple at Darbarji DurgaKali

Kanak Bhawan

Kanak Bhawan Temple in Ayodhya is dedicated to Lord Ram and his divine consort
Goddess Sita. The magnificence of this place and the deities installed in the sanctum
leave the devotees spell bound. Built more as a sprawling palace rather than a shrine,
the Kanak Bhawan Temple resembles the magnificent palaces of Bundelkhand and
Rajasthan region of India. The history of the temple dates back to Treta Yug. According
to local legends, Queen Kaikayi, Lord Rama’s stepmother had gifted this palace to
Goddess Sita, her newly arrived daughter-in-law and step son Rama. Later, a grand
temple was built by the royal house of Orchha and Tikamgarh in the late 19th century.
A high-ceilinged hall with arched doorways on three sides across a massive
courtyard houses three sets of gold-crowned idols of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita
under a silver canopy. Unlike other shrines, the airy, open spaces of the evidently
Bundela influenced architecture of Kanak Bhawan allows for quiet corners and
comfortable ambience. The idols of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita are exquisitely
adorned with gold ornaments, from which the temple derives its name – ‘kanak’
meaning gold. The temple is presently being looked after and managed by a Trust
named “Sri Vrisbhan Dharma Setu Pvt. Trust” which was established by HH Maharaja
Saheb Sri Pratap Singh Ju Deo of Orchha and Tikamgarh, who was also its first
president.

Tulsi Smarak Bhawan

Tusli Smarak Bhawan was constructed in memory of 16th-century poet-philosopher

Goswami Tulsidas Ji. Best remembered for authoring the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi
language, he is popularly believed to have also composed Hanuman Chalisa. The
bhawan is home to ‘Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan’, Ayodhya Research Centre, an
organization occupied with studying and ascribing historical significance to Ayodhya
and its literary, cultural, and spiritual traditions. There is a library, a permanent
exhibition featuring Ramayana art and craft, daily recitation of Ramkatha, and year-
round enactment of Ram Leela. The bhawan is used for various religious ceremonies
and prayer meetings and also acts as a cultural center for hosting performing arts
sessions by veteran artists. In 1988, Ramkatha Museum was established within the
institution. Through its collection of antiquities of Ramayana era, the museum puts forth
the historical perspective of Ayodhya.

Nageshwarnath Temple

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shri Nageshwar Nath, the presiding deity ofAyodhya. It
is believed that this beautiful temple was built by Lord Rama’s son King Kusha. The
Shivalinga present in thetemple is quite ancient. As per folklore, King Kush was taking
bath near River Saryu when his armlet fell in the water; it was picked up by a
naagkanya who was in love with him. Since she was a devotee of Lord Shiva, King
Kush got the temple constructed for her. Being one of the most important and venerated
temples in Ayodhya, it attracts large crowds of devotees from all over during the
festivals of Trayodashi and Mahashivaratri. The present edifice of the temple was
constructed in 750 AD.

Hanuman Garhi

Hanuman Garhi is one of the most popular temples in the region. Legend has it that
Lord Hanuman used to live here to protect Ayodhya. Set amidst shops selling religious
articles and besan laddoos, visitors are required to park a short distance away and take a
walled-in flight of over 70 steps to reach the temple. The sanctum is stocked with
profusely painted pillars, brackets, and stucco figures. The main temple houses a statue
of Mata Anjani and Bal Hanuman seated on her lap.

Tulsi Udyan
Tulsi Udyan is a garden dedicated to Goswami Tulsidas Ji. Located on the national
highway of Faizabad the garden was previously known as Victoria Park and had an idol
of Queen Victoria at the centre. It was later in 1960 when it was renamed Tulsi Udyan
and an idol of Goswami Tulsidas ji was installed.

Shish Mahal

This magnificent temple, is dedicated to Lord Rama and Mother Sita. The temple is
inlaid with cut-glass and stained in exquisite patterns. It dates back to the 14th century
AD.

Tulsi Smarak Bhawan

The museum houses an outstanding collection of rare paintings, ivory articles,
photographs and antiquities which are all connected with the life of Lord Rama. Visit to
get acquainted and feel the nostalgia of the by gone era.

Ram ki Paidi

Ram ki Paidi is a series of ghats on the bank of River Saryu. The river front brings forth
an outstanding Landscape especially in floodlit night. These serve as platforms to
devotees who it is said, come to wash away their sins by taking a dip in the river.

Chhoti Devkali Temple

This temple is associated with several tales from the Ramayana and is situated near
Naya Ghat. As per mythology, Mother Sita after her wedding with Lord Rama arrived
in Ayodhya with an idol of goddess Girija Devi. King Dashrath got a beautiful temple
constructed for the idol and Mother Sita used to worship the Devi in the temple. An
impressive statue of Goddess Devkali, the local deity, is present now.

Nandigram (Bharat Kund)

The holy kund is 15 KM from Faizabad. This is believed to be the site where Bharat, the
brother of Lord Rama did tapasya (deep meditation) for his return from exile and ruled
the kingdom of Kosala on Lord Rama’s behalf. It is presently a peaceful and serene
place to spend some moments in tranquillity and practice meditation away from the
chaos. People also come here to perform the shraddh ceremony (prayers for departed
ones) and also take a dip in the Kund. It also facilitates guesthouses with basic
amenities.

Valmiki Ramayan Bhawan

This bhawan (building) is famous for the Valmiki Ramayana which has been engraved
beautifully on marble. Devotees visit here from sunrise to sunset. It is situated at a
distance of 3 km from the Ayodhya railway station on Mani Ramdas Ji Ki Chawni
Marg.

Mani Parvat

This is the place where some parts of sanjivni Booti fell off while Lord Hanuman was
carrying the huge mountain of Sanjivni Booti to Lanka to save injured Lakshman,
brother of Lord Rama. The hillock, about 65 feet high, was later named as Mani Parvat.

Treta ke Thakur
Treta ke Thakur Temple is located at the Naya Ghat of Ayodhya. It is dedicated to Lord
Rama, who is known as ‘Treta ke Thakur’. It is believed that this temple has been built
over the place where Lord Rama had performed the Ashvamedha Yajna. About 300 years
ago, the King of Kullu built a new temple here, known as ‘Kaleram ka Mandir’. In 1784,
the Maratha Queen, Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, renovated this temple. It houses the idols
of Rama, Sita, Laxman, Bharat, Shatrughan, Guru Vashishtha, Hanuman, Sugreev and
guards – Jai and Vijaya which are made of black sandstone and believed to have been
recovered from the original Ram temple that stood near Saryu River. The temple opens
only once a year, on Ekadashi (eleventh day) of Shukla Paksha in Kartik Month. The day
is celebrated with pomp and gaiety along with a special pooja. Huge number of devotees
visits the temple to offer prayers to the deities.

Beginnings of dispute

The first recorded instances of religious violence in Ayodhya occurred in the 1850s over
a nearby mosque at Hanuman Garhi. The Babri mosque was attacked by Hindus in the
process. Since then, local Hindu groups made occasional demands that they should have
the possession of the site and that they should be allowed to build a temple on the site,
all of which were denied by the colonial government. In 1946, an offshoot of the Hindu
Mahasabha called Akhil Bharatiya Ramayana Mahasabha (ABRM) started an agitation
for the possession of the site. In 1949, Sant Digvijay Nath of Gorakhnath Math joined
the ABRM and organised a 9-day continuous recitation of Ramcharit Manas, at the end
of which the Hindu activists broke into the mosque and placed idols of Rama and Sita
inside. People were led to believe that the idols had 'miraculously' appeared inside the
mosque. The date of the event was 22 December 1949.

Jawaharlal Nehru insisted that the idols should be removed. However, the local official
K. K. K. Nair, known for his Hindu nationalist connections, refused to carry out orders,
claiming that it would lead to communal riots. The police locked the gates so that the
public (Hindus as well as Muslims) could not enter. However, the idols remained inside
and priests were allowed entry to perform daily worship. So, the mosque had been
converted into a de facto temple. Both the Sunni Wakf Board and the ABRM filed civil
suits in a local court staking their respective claims to the site. The land was declared to
be under dispute, and the gates remained locked.

Christophe Jaffrelot has called the Gorakhnath wing of Hindu nationalism 'the other
saffron', which has maintained its existence separately from the mainstream Hindu
nationalism of the Sangh Parivar. After the Vishva Hindu Parishad was formed in 1964
and started agitating for the Babri Masjid site, the two strands of 'saffron politics' came
together. The district magistrate Nair, who refused to carry out orders, was eventually
dismissed, but he became a local hero and subsequently a politician of the Bharatiya
Jana Sangh.

Demolition of the Babri Mosque

In the 1980s, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), belonging to the mainstream 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 (Ramlala) at this spot. The
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), formed in 1980 from the remnants of the Jana Sangh,
became the political face of the campaign. In 1986, a district judge ruled that the gates
would be reopened and Hindus permitted to worship inside, providing a major boost to
the movement.[38] In September 1990, BJP leader L. K. Advani began a "rath yatra"
(pilgrimage procession) to Ayodhya in order to generate support for the movement.
Advani later stated in his memoirs, "If Muslims are entitled to an Islamic atmosphere in
Mecca, and if Christians are entitled to a Christian atmosphere in the Vatican, why is it
wrong for the Hindus to expect a Hindu atmosphere in Ayodhya?" The yatra resulted in
communal riots in many cities in its wake, prompting the government of Bihar to arrest
Advani. In spite of this, a large number of 'kar sevaks' or Sangh Parivar activists reached
Ayodhya and tried to attack the mosque. They were stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police
and the paramilitary forces, resulting in a pitched battle in which several kar sevaks
were killed. Accusing the central government led by V.P. Singh of being weak, the BJP
withdrew its support, necessitating fresh elections. In these elections, the BJP won a
majority in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly increased its share of seats in the Lok
Sabha.

On 6 December 1992, the VHP and its associates, including the BJP, organized a rally
involving 150,000 VHP and BJP kar sevaks at the site of the mosque. The ceremonies
included speeches by the BJP leaders such as Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma
Bharti. The mob grew restive through the duration of the speeches, and stormed the
mosque shortly after noon. A police cordon placed there to protect the mosque was
heavily outnumbered. The mosque was attacked with a number of improvised tools, and
brought to the ground in a few hours.This occurred despite a commitment from the state
government to the Indian Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed. More
than 2000 people were killed in the riots following the demolition. Riots broke out in
many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Bhopal, Delhi and Hyderabad.

On 16 December 1992, the Liberhan Commission was set up by the Government of

India to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of the Babri Mosque.[51] It
was the longest running commission in India's history with several extensions granted
by various governments. The report found a number of people culpable in the
demolition, including BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Murli
Manohar Joshi, then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, Pramod Mahajan, Uma
Bharti and Vijayaraje Scindia, as well as VHP leaders like Giriraj Kishore and Ashok
Singhal. Other prominent political leaders indicted by the commission include late Shiv
Sena chief Bal Thackeray and former RSS leader K. Govindacharya. Relying on the
testimonies of several eyewitnesses, the report stated that many of these leaders had
made provocative speeches at the rally that provoked the demolition. It also stated that
they could have stopped the demolition if they had so wished.

Many Muslim organizations have continued to express outrage at the destruction of the
disputed structure. In July 2005, terrorists attacked the makeshift temple at the site of
the destroyed mosque. In 2007, M. N. Gopal Das, the then head of the Ram temple,
received phone calls making threats against his life. Many terror attacks by banned
jihadi outfits like Indian Mujahideen cited demolition of Babri Mosque as an excuse for
terrorist attacks. The legal case continues regarding the title deed of the land tract which
is a government controlled property.
Early historical surveys

In 1767, Jesuit priest Joseph Tieffenthaler recorded Hindus worshiping and celebrating
Ramanavami at the site of the mosque. In 1788, Tieffenthaler's French works were
published in Paris, the first to suggest that the Babri Mosque was on the birthplace of
Rama, saying that "Emperor Aurangzeb got demolished the fortress called Ramkot, and
erected on the same place a Mahometan temple with three cuppolas" reclaimed by
Hindus through numerous wars after death of Aurangzeb in 1707 A.D like they earlier
fortified it during Jahangir's rule as Ramkot.

During the 19th century, the Hindus in Ayodhya were recorded as continuing a tradition
of worshiping Rama on the Ramkot hill. According to British sources, Hindus and
Muslims from the Faizabad area worshiped together in the Babri Mosque complex in
the 19th century until about 1855. P. Carnegy wrote in 1870:

It is said that up to that time, the Hindus and Mohamedans alike used to worship in the
mosque-temple. Since the British rule a railing has been put up to prevent dispute,
within which, in the mosque the Mohamedans pray, while outside the fence the Hindus
have raised a platform on which they make their offerings.

— P. Carnegy: A Historical Sketch of Tehsil Fyzabad, Lucknow 1870

This platform was outside the disputed structure but within its precincts.

In 1858, the Muazzin of the Babri Mosque said in a petition to the British government
that the courtyard had been used by Hindus for hundreds of years.

The British recognized the religious and political tension between the Muslims and
Hindus. An early census, taken in 1869, found the Hindu people to comprise 66.4
percent of the total population in Ayodhya, and a little over 60 percent in nearby
Faizabad. The British contended that the Ayodhya area was primarily Hindu, not in
regards to this census, but to the chief spiritual significance for the birthplace of Rama.
Mahant Ram case

In 1885, Mahant Raghubar Ram moved the courts for permission to erect a temple just
outside the Babri Mosque premises. Despite validating the claim of the petitioner, the
Faizabad District Judge dismissed the case, citing the passage of time.[63] On 18 March
1886, the judge passed an order in which he wrote:[64]

I visited the land in dispute yesterday in the presence of all parties. I found that the
Masjid built by Emperor Babur stands on the border of Ayodhya, that is to say, to the
west and south it is clear of habitations. It is most unfortunate that a Masjid should have
been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356
years ago, it is too late now to agree with the grievances. (Court verdict by Col. F.E.A.
Chamier, District Judge, Faizabad (1886).

Post-independence

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Several later mosques were built in Faizabad district, in which the pilgrim city of
Ayodhya falls. Ayodhya itself has a small Muslim population, though there are
substantial numbers of Muslims 7 km away at District Headquarters – Faizabad. Since
1949, by Indian Government order, Muslims were not permitted to be closer than 200
yards away to the site; the main gate remained locked, though Hindu pilgrims were
allowed to enter through a side door. The 1986 Allahabad High Court ordered the
opening of the main gate and restored the site in full to the Hindus. Hindu groups later
requested modifications to the Babri Mosque, and drew up plans for a new grand
Temple with Government permissions; riots between Hindu and Muslim groups took
place as a result. Since then, the matter is sub-judice and this political, historical and
socio-religious debate over the history and location of the Babri Mosque, is known as
the Ayodhya dispute.
Excavations

Archaeological excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1970, 1992

and 2003 in and around the disputed site have clearly found the evidence indicating that
a large Hindu complex existed on the site. In 2003, by the order of an Indian Court, The
Archaeological Survey of India was asked to conduct a more indepth study and an
excavation to ascertain the type of structure that was beneath the rubble indicated
definite proof of a temple under the mosque. However, it could not be ascertained if it
was a Rama temple as remnant had more resemblance to a Shiva temple. In the words
of ASI researchers, they discovered "distinctive features associated with... temples of
north India". Excavations further yielded:

stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of a divine couple and carved
architectural features, including foliage patterns, amalaka, kapotapali, doorjamb with
semi-circular shrine pilaster, broke octagonal shaft of black schist pillar, lotus motif,
circular shrine having pranjala (watershute) in the north and 50 pillar bases in
association with a huge structure

Before the archaeological opinion was published, there were some differing viewpoints.
In his Communal History and Rama's Ayodhya, written prior to the ASI researches,
Professor 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. Sharma also notes that Tulsidas, who wrote
the Ramcharitmanas in 1574 at Ayodhya, does not mention it as a place of pilgrimage.
This suggests that there was no significant Hindu temple at the site of the Babri
Mosque, or that it had ceased to be one, after the mosque was built. After the demolition
of the mosque in 1992, Professor Ram Sharan Sharma along with historians Suraj Bhan,
M. Athar Ali and Dwijendra Narayan Jha wrote the Historian's report to the nation
saying that the assumption that there was a temple at the disputed site was mistaken,
and that there was no valid reason to destroy the mosque. One of the judges of the
Allahabad High Court in 2010 criticised the independent experts who had appeared on
behalf of the Sunni Waqf Board including Suvira Jaiswal, Supriya Verma, Shireen F
Ratnagar and Jaya Menon. The witnesses withered under scrutiny and were discovered
to have made "reckless and irresponsible kind of statements". He also pointed out that
the independent witnesses were all connected, while adding that their opinions were
offered without making a proper investigation, research or study into the subject.

Udit Raj's Buddha Education Foundation claimed that the structure excavated by ASI in
2003 was a Buddhist stupa destroyed during and after the Muslim invasion of India.

Title cases

In 1950, Gopal Singh Visharad filed a title suit with the Allahabad High Court seeking
injunction to offer 'puja' (worship) at the disputed site. A similar suit was filed shortly
after but later withdrawn by Paramhans Das of Ayodhya. In 1959, the Nirmohi Akhara,
a Hindu religious institution, filed a third title suit seeking direction to hand over the
charge of the disputed site, claiming to be its custodian. A fourth suit was filed by the
Muslim Central Board of Wakf for declaration and possession of the site. The
Allahabad high court bench began hearing the case in 2002, which was completed in
2010. However, the bench withheld its verdict till 24 September. After the Supreme
Court dismissed a plea to defer the High Court verdict, the High Court set 30 September
2010 as the final date for pronouncing the judgement.

On 30 September 2010, the High Court of Allahabad, the three-member bench

comprising justices S. U. Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D. V. Sharma, ruled that the
disputed land be split into three parts. The site of the Ramlala idol would go to the party
representing Ram Lalla Virajman (the installed Infant Ram deity), Nirmohi Akhara to
get Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabutara, and the Sunni Wakf Board to get the rest. The court
also ruled that the status quo should be maintained for three months.

Reacting to the verdict, all the three parties announced that they would appeal against
the division of disputed land in the Supreme Court of India.All the three parties,
however, conceded that this judgment was an important step towards the resolution of a
long-standing dispute. The Supreme Court has set the date 8 February 2018 for the final
hearing on the case.
Year Date Event

During the reign of Babur, the first Mughal emperor, some have claimed that an old Hindu
1527 temple was demolished, and a mosque constructed at the same place in Ayodhya and named
after Babur.

1853 The first recorded communal clashes over the site date to this year.

The colonial British administration put a fence around the site, denominating separate areas
1859
of worship for Hindus and Muslims. That is how it stood for about 90 years.

Idols were placed inside the mosque. Both sides to the dispute filed civil suits. The
1949 December government locked the gates, saying the matter was sub judice and declared the area
disputed. The civil suits were filed for ownership of the Plot no 583 of the area.

Case filed in Indian courts against forceful occupation of the Babri Mosque and placing of
1961
idols within it.
 The movement to build a temple at the site, which Hindus claimed was the birthplace
1984 of Lord Ram, gathered momentum when Hindu groups formed a committee to spearhead
the construction of a temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi site.

A district judge ordered the gates of the mosque to be opened after almost five decades and
allowed Hindus to worship inside the “disputed structure.” A Babri Mosque Action
1986
Committee was formed as Muslims protested the move to allow Hindu prayers at the site.
The gates were opened in less than an hour after the court decision.

The clamour for building a Ram temple was growing. In February, VHP proclaimed that a
Shila or a stone will be established for construction of temple near the area. In November,
1989 the Vishwa Hindu Parishad laid foundations of a temple on land adjacent to the "disputed
structure" in presence of Home Minister Sh Boota Singh and then Chief Minister Sh ND
Tiwari. There were sporadic clashes in the country such as Bhagalpur in Bihar.

Sh V P Singh became the Prime Minister of India with support of BJP which had won 58
seats in the election, a massive improvement from its last tally of 2 seats. The then BJP
president Lal Krishna Advani took out a cross-country rathyatra to garner support for the
move to build a Ram temple at the site. On 23 October, he was arrested in Bihar during the
1990 yatra, following which BJP took back its support to the government. Sh Chandrashekhar
became the Prime Minister of India with support of the Congress. On October 30, many
were gunned down by the police on orders of the then Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, when they gathered in Ayodhya as participants of the
Rath-Yatra; their bodies were thrown in the river Saryu.

Congress came to power at center after elections in 1991, while BJP became major
opposition party in center and came to power in many states such as Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Kalyan Singh became the Chief Minister
of Uttar Pradesh. State government acquired 2.77 acre land in the area and gave it on lease
1991
to RamJanmBhoomi Nyas Trust. The Allahbad High Court stopped any permanent
construction activity in the area. Kalyan Singh publicly supported the movement while
Central Government took no action to curb the increasing tensions. In spite of the High
Court judgement, disputed area was leveled.

Kalyan Singh took steps to support the movement such as making entry into area easier,
promising no firing on Karsevaks, opposing decision of central government to send Central
Police force in the area, etc. In July, several thousand Karsevaks assembled in the area and
the work for maintenance of temple started. This activity was stopped after intervention of
the prime minister. Meetings started between Babri Masjid Action Committee and VHP
leaders in presence of the home minister. On 30 October, Dharam Sansad of VHP
1992 proclaimed in Delhi that the talks have failed and Karseva will presume from 6 December.
Central Government was considering the deployment of central police forces in the area and
dissolution of state government but in the end decided against it. The case was being heard
in the Supreme Court which told that State Government is responsible for ensuring law and
order in the area. The government was discussing it in Cabinet Committee meeting and
Rashtriya Ekta Parishad. BJP boycotted the Parishad. The Allahbad High Court was hearing
the matter of legality of structure of foundation laid in 1989.
 6 The Babri Mosque was demolished by a gathering of near 200,000 Karsevaks. Communal
1992
December riots across India followed.

16 Ten days after the demolition, the Congress government at the Centre, headed by PV
1992
December Narasimha Rao, set up a commission of inquiry under Justice Liberhan.

Three months after being constituted, the Liberhan Commission began investigations into
1993
who and what led to the demolition of the Babri Mosque.

Tensions rose on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque as the VHP reaffirmed its
2001
resolve to build a temple at the site.

At least 58 people were killed in Godhra, Gujarat, in an attack on a train believed to be

27
2002 carrying Hindu volunteers from Ayodhya. Riots followed in the state and over 2000 people
February
were unofficially reported to have died in these.

The court ordered a survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram existed on the site. In
2003 August, the survey presented evidence of a temple under the mosque. Muslim groups
disputed the findings.

A court ruled that seven Hindu leaders, including some prominent BJP leaders, should stand
2003 September
trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri Mosque.

An Uttar Pradesh court ruled that an earlier order which exonerated LK Advani for his role
2004 November
in the destruction of the mosque should be reviewed.

2007 The Supreme Court refused to admit a review petition on the Ayodhya dispute.

The Liberhan Commission, which was instituted ten days after the demolition of the Babri
2009 Mosque in 1992, submitted its report on 30 June — almost 17 years after it began its
inquiry. Its contents were not made public.

The Allahabad High Court pronounces its verdict on four title suits relating to the Ayodhya
30 dispute on 30 September 2010. Ayodhya land to be divided into three parts. ⅓ goes to Ram
2010
September Lalla represented by Hindu Maha Sabha, ⅓ to Sunni Wakf Board, ⅓ goes to Nirmohi
Akhara.

The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and Sunni Waqf Board moved to the Supreme
2010 December
Court of India, challenging part of the Allahabad High Court’s verdict.
 Supreme Court of India stayed the High Court order splitting the disputed site in three parts
2011 9 May and said that status quo will remain. The two-judge bench of Supreme Court remarked that
the High Court ruling was surprising as no party wanted a split of the site.

Supreme Court of India Full bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising
5
2017 Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazeer has set 8 February 2018 as the date for
December
final hearing on the case.

RESEARCH METHEDOLOGY

In general, the methodology of research and term of research design are seems to signify
the equal thing, but actually they are not same. Research design is “a plan or a blue print
of how a researcher intends to conduct a study”. The actual significance of research design
is to direct the way of data collection procedure and examine the data in order to response
for recognized research problem(s); but, the research methodology is to illustrate how
something would be done.

In this section, we will talk about the methods, which will be used for this study. Research
issues such as research design, sample, and population, procedure of sampling,
questionnaires and numerical examination are presented.
Research is an essential part of academics, “research is the systematic study of materials
and sources etc. in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions” (Oxford Concise
Dictionary). The process by which a research is written or carried out is very important
because it has a huge impact on the conclusions reached at the end of the research.

Research methods are of two types:

 1. Quantitative data collection
2. Qualitative data collection.
In this research, we are using the combination of quantitative and qualitative data
methods. Appropriate data collection for this research would be using a questionnaire
with well structured open – ended questions. Data related to the previous exiting literature
review of the research area were gathered from different secondary sources.

Quantitative data collection

In natural sciences and social sciences, quantitative research is the systematic empirical
investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational
techniques. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical
models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of
measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental
connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative
relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics,
percentages, etc. The researcher analyzes the data with the help of statistics. The
researcher is hoping the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to
some larger population. Qualitative research, on the other hand, asks broad questions and
collects word data from phenomena or participants. The researcher looks for themes and
describes the information in themes and patterns exclusive to that set of participants.

Qualitative data collection.

Qualitative data collection is a broad methodological approach that encompasses many
research methods. The aim of qualitative research may vary with the disciplinary
background, such as a psychologist seeking to gather an in-depth understanding of human
behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. Qualitative methods examine the
why and how of decision making, not just what, where, when, or "who", and has a strong
basis in the field of sociology to understand government and social programs, and is
popular among political science, social work, and special education and education majors.

In the beginning to get more familiar to the topic secondary information on the subject
was collected from studies done on Project . The source of secondary data was restricted
to the library of the institute of hotel Management.

It was decided to use a controlled opinion questionnaire and that too of alternative
choice variety . Thesetype of questionnaire were selected for two reasons.

DATA COLLECTION

Data Collection

The process of data collection is to collecting appropriate data about the research from
particular population. There are various way of data collections method such as
interviews, questionnaires, group interviews or conference and observation. Each of the
individual’s methods has its own and sole features; some advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage of questionnaire method is cost effectual, simple association and
straightforward analysis predominantly in a quantitative research.

Primary sources: We will first take a brief from the respective ministry and make a
database. We will view chain hotels and individual hotels and find the existing practices.
Since our project is based on primary data. We will frame a non biased structured
questionnaire which will be got filled up from the individual hotels

Secondary sources: For the initial research we will be using the secondary data which
will be applicable from books, magazines and journals. Both Primary as well as secondary
data has been collected from various stakeholders.In particular information on tourist
attractions –natural and manmade, existing tourism demand and tourism resources,
infrastructure development plans, land use plans, etc. were collected from all concerned
agencies.
 DATA ANALYSIS

The main objective of data analysis is to facts, identify patterns, build up explanations
and test hypothesis. Various methods can be using for data analysis such as content
analysis, thematic analysis, theoretical sampling, grounded theory etc. The aim of data
analysis is to emphasize crucial information and advocate conclusions which help in
result making processes. Data analysis is a process that aims to describe facts, identify
patterns, develop explanations and test hypothesis. All of these help to highlight vital
information and recommend conclusions which help in decision making processes. Data
can be analyzed using various methods such as content analysis, theoretical sampling,
thematic analysis, grounded theory etc. Bernard (1952) defined content analysis as “a
research technique for the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of manifest
content of communications”. Thematic analysis is an approach to dealing with data that
involves the creation and application of ‘codes’ to data, there is a link between this
method and the grounded theory method. Grounded theory was discovered by Glaser and
Strauss (1967) as a method of analyzing data, it is a systematic analysis of data that aims
to develop a higher level of understanding or generate theories regarding a social
phenomenon.
Questionnaire

Q: What are the major religion groups in Ayodhya?

a. Hindu
b. Muslim
c. Christian
d. Sikh
e. Buddhist
f. Jain
g. Others
h. Not Stated

Respondent %

100 93.23
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
6.19
10 0.09 0.14 0.12 0.1 0.01 0.12
0
Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist Jain Others Not
Stated

Hindu religion have a major dominance in Ayodhya due to its ancient history.

Muslims does not share a big chunk in the local population as per 2011 census.

Rest all Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and other are below 1 % or the total
population.
Q. What brings you to the pay visit to Ayodhya?

VISITING AYODHYA

Religious Significance

15%
Dispiuted Site

47%
18%
Historical Significance

Pilgrimage Attractions
20%

Religious Significance plays a major role in the tourist footfall in Ayodhya.

Disputed site is the second reason of people visiting Ayodhya.

Historical significance and pilgrimage attractions stands third and fourth in the queue.
Q. How Ayodhya influence people in Uttar Pradesh / India?

RESPONDENT %

Politically
31%

Religiously

69%

Ayodhya as a place is majorly attracted by politics.

31 % population of Ayodhya is influenced religiously as this place have lot of

significance in Ramayana.
Q. Have you come across any article in print/digital media about Ayodhya?

10%

Yes

No

90%

Most of the people know about Ayodhya from print/digital media.

90 % people are familiar with the places in Ayodhya.

10 % of the people are not of the place itself.

Q. Have Government of India provided any special attention to Ayodhya?

15%

Yes

No

85%

85 % of the people feel that Government of India and State Government did provided
special attention to Ayodhya.

15 % people have disagreement on the same.

Q: Your suitable time for visiting Ayodhya?

RESPONDENTS(%)

18% October - March

July - September
10%

April - June
72%

72 % people like to visit Ayodhya in winters which falls in between October to March
in. The temperature ranges in between 5 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius. This is
the best time for visiting the place.

18 % people pay their visit to Ayodhya in summer April to June.

Q: Do we need built Ram Temple is Ayodhya ?

RESPONDENTS(%)

11%
Yes
10%
No
No Idea

79%

79 % people agree on the case that Ram Temple should be built in Ayodhya.

10 % people disagree on the context

11 % people were neutral on the topic.

Q: Is State Government taking adequate measures to maintain the communal harmony
in Ayodhya?

RESPONDENTS(%)

Yes

9%
38%
No

No Idea

53%

56% people satisfied with the initiatives taken by Uttar Pradesh State Government.

34% people were not happy with the measures taken by State Government.

10 % people were not aware of the State Government actions on communal harmony.
Q: Do you feel there is lack of basic infrastructural development in Ayodhya?

RESPONDENTS(%)

42% Yes No

58%

58 % people feel there is lot need to be improved in terms of basic infrastructural

development.

42 % People were against the statement.

 LIMITATIONS

1. Small universe

The Universe for this study is too small therefore the findings may not truly represent the
conditions in the entire industry.

2. Problem of Accessibility

It was very difficult in approaching the tourists or Guest as they were busy, they were
inaccessible and at times being engaged elsewhere.

3. Constraints of time

The respondents due to non-availability of time could not discuss many aspects of the
topic in depth.

4. Lack of Interest

Many respondents were just not interested in interacting as they considered it to be a

waste of time, a non-lucrative approach. This negative approach was quite impairing.

5. Lack of Resources

There were very less research documents apart from Ayodhya Verdict present on the web
so lots of travel to places helped research to fulfill the requirement
 CONCLUSION

Famed as the birth place of Lord Ram, it is an important pilgrimage centre about 134 km
from Lucknow.

Temples and mosques exist side by side in all architectural splendor in the twin cities of
Faizabad and Ayodhya.

The ghats of Saryu bring alive a deeply spiritual experience.

Faizabad was founded by Nawab of Awadh Sadat Khan and a later Nawab Shujauddaula
made it capital of Awadh.

Ram Lila, the enactment of the story of Lord Rama is believed to have been started by
great Saint Tulsidas. The Ramcharitmanas, written by him forms the basis of Ram Lila
performances. In some places, Ram Lila is associated with Vijayadashmi celebrations in
late September and early October and also with Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord
Rama. Ram Lila, till today, is presented as a cycle-play with the story varying from 7 to
31 days. The Ram Lila performance evokes a festive atmosphere and enables observance
of religious rites. It is also rich in performance of crafts such as costume jewellery, masks,
headgear, make-up and decoration.

The four main Ram Lila styles are: the pantomimic style with a predominance of jhankis
or tableaux pageants; the dialogue-based style with multi-local staging; the operative style
which draws its musical elements from the folk operas of the region and the stage
performance staged by professional troupes called `mandalis’.

Ayodhya is popular for mandali Ram Lila. The performance is dialogue-based and
presented on a platform stage. High standard of performance is complemented by songs
and kathak dances and eye-catching décor.

Ram Navmi Mela

Ayodhya plays host to the Ram Navmi Festival in the month of April. Thousands of
worshippers gather to venerate the Lord at Kanak Bhawan.
Sravan Jhula Mela

This mela celebrates the playful spirit of the deities. On the third day of the second half
of Shravan, images of the deities (specially of Rama, Lakshman and Sita) are placed in
swings in the temples. They are also taken to Mani Parvat, where the idols are made to
swing from the branches of the trees. Later the deities are brought back to temples. The
mela lasts till the end of the month of Shravan.

Parikramas

Ayodhya is perhaps the most noted place in the northern India where parikramas are
undertaken by Hindu Pilgrims. These are circumambulations of important religious
places and are of varying duration, shortest being the `Antargrahi Parikrama’ which has
to be completed within a day. After taking a dip in the Saryu, the devotee commences the
parikarma from the Nageshwarnath temple and passes through Rama Ghat, Sita Kund,
Maniparvata and Brahma Kund, finally terminating at Kanak Bhawan. Then there is the
`Panchkoshi Parikrama’ circuit of 10 miles, which touches Chakratirtha, Nayaghat,
Ramghat, Saryubagh, Holkar-ka-pura, Dashrathkund, Jogiana, Ranopali, Jalpa Nala and
Mahtabagh. On the way the people pay homage to deities in the shrines which are situated
on the route.

Ayodhya is also the birthplace of five Tirthankars, including the first Tirthankar of
Jainism, Shri Rishabh Dev. He is known as the father of Jain religion. The city is also
important in the history and heritage of Buddhism in India, with several Buddhist
temples, monuments and centers of learning having been established here during the age
of the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Dynasty. Ayodhya reached its glorious peak as
known to history during the reign of the Guptas over India.

Swaminarayan led the Swaminarayan Sampraday sect of Hinduism and lived here
during his childhood years. It was from Ayodhya that Swaminarayan started his seven-
year journey across India as Neelkanth.
Tulsidas is said to have begun the writing of his famous Ramayana poem Shri
Ramacharitamanas in Ayodhya in 1574 CE. Several Tamil Alwar mention the city of
Ayodhya. Ayodhya is also said to be the birthplace of Bahubali, Brahmi, Sundari, King
Dasaratha, Acharya Padaliptasurisvarji, King Harishchandra, Shri Rama, Achalbhrata,
and the ninth Gandhara of Mahavir Swami.

The Atharva Veda called Ayodhya "a city built by gods and being as prosperous as
paradise itself".

Soron Shukar Kshetra is salvation land of Lord Varah and birthland of Sant Tulsidas.

Earlier this year Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced a nationwide drive to collect
stones for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Recently, two trucks of stones
arrived in the city

For Muslims, the area of Babri Masjid isn't as critical, however its substance and
imagery are. For Hindus, that specific area is sacred - however little or basic. In this
way, a substitute would be for the Hindus to develop a copy of the Babri Masjid in
Faizabad may be beside Saryu river and to build a Ram Mandir in the old sacred area.

Muslims should recognize the presence of a older religious site according to ASI
unearthing’s.

Hindus must build a copy of the Babari Masjid some place close to that area.

For Hindus it is the sentimental value of that location. For Muslims, it is the disrespect
they had in having their masjid broken. We should settle both. Let the pioneers on both
the groups descend. Let the Hindus really apologize and reestablish regard and let the
Muslims comprehend the essentialness of that land and surrender. To put it plainly, we
are exchanging respect & location.

Both Religion must recognize the sentiments of others.

There may be different rituals, prescribed in different religions based on the time and
place of their origin and level of consciousness of the audience; but the 'spirit' remains
same: ONE GOD. Spirit and Ritual combine together to make 'Spiritual'.
* This concept will help everyone to realize the core essence of each religion, i.e.
spiritualism (to love and serve each living being as we all are eternally the individual
part and parcel of the Supreme One).

*There will be no inequality in terms of getting human rights to anyone.

*Human Development Indices (Proper Education, Health Care and Standard of Living)
will prosper.

*Self-centered political leaders won't be able to cheat the common public by creating
vote banks on the mere term of Religion without even caring for their core and common
essence (spirituality).

It is equally joyful and powerful to chant the name of Rama, Allah or Christ. In their
own sense all of their meaning is same: The Supreme Creator, The Supreme Controller
and The Supreme Reservoir of all Pleasure.
 BIBLOGRAPHY & WEBLIOGRAPHY

MAGAZINE:

Outlook India

Open Magazine

Tuck Magazine

Hinduism Today

INTERNET:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/30/ayodhya-verdict-india-security-
braced

https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/12/10/ayodhya-the-battle-for-indias-soul-
the-complete-story/

https://www.holidify.com/places/ayodhya/best-time-to-visit.html

http://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/801109-ayodhya.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11436552

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayodhya_dispute

http://www.uptourism.gov.in/pages/top/explore/top-explore-ayodhya

NEWSPAPER:

 Times of India
 Economics Times
 The Guardian
 The Hindu
 Dainik Jagaran
 Financial Express