The Babri Masjid does not exist today. It was a 16th-century mosque located in Ayodhya, India, that was demolished on December 6, 1992, by Hindu nationalist groups. The demolition sparked widespread communal violence across India, resulting in the deaths of over 2,000 people.
The site of the former Babri Masjid is now occupied by the Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram. The construction of the Ram Mandir followed a decades-long dispute between Hindu and Muslim communities over the ownership of the land. Hindus believe the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and that a temple previously existed there.
In 2019, the Supreme Court of India ruled in favor of building a Hindu temple on the disputed site, granting the land to a Hindu trust. The court also ordered the allocation of a separate plot of land elsewhere in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque. The Ram Mandir was inaugurated in January 2024 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The demolition of the Babri Masjid and the subsequent construction of the Ram Mandir remain highly sensitive and controversial issues in India. The events surrounding the site have had a significant impact on Indian politics and inter-communal relations. The destruction of the mosque is viewed by many as a symbolic act of Hindu nationalism and a major setback for secularism in India.
The history of the Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir dispute is complex and marked by numerous legal battles, political campaigns, and instances of violence. Key events include the placement of Hindu idols inside the mosque in 1949, the formation of a committee to spearhead the construction of a Hindu temple in 1984, the nationwide campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 1990s, and the lengthy legal proceedings that culminated in the 2019 Supreme Court verdict.
