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Rama Returns an Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice

Shri Returns An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice

OVERVIEW Introduction

1. The Significance of the Historic Moment in the Words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 1 2. The Timeline of a Relentless Struggle for Ram Temple 3

3. The Truth Beneath the Ground Reveals the Rich Cultural Heritage of Ram Janmabhoomi 6

4. They Too Visited – Facts Concealed by the Mainstream Media 10

5. Manthras Among Intellectuals – Role Played By Vested Parties In Stalling The Ram Mandir 15

6. How Characters from the Give us the Timeless Essence of Life 19

7. Ramayana – The Epic That Connects the Vast Geography of 22 8. How the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is Relevant Beyond India 26 INTRODUCTION

ugust 5, 2020 is not just another date for India. The bhoomi pujan at Ayodhya has marked the peaceful struggle of almost Afive centuries to a grand closure. PM Modi himself explained the importance of the moment when he said, “Rama Mandir will become the modern symbol of our traditions. It’ll become a symbol of our devotion, our national sentiment. This temple will also symbolise the power of collective resolution of crores of people. It will keep inspiring the future generations.”

In this comprehensive coverage to mark that historic moment, we delve with many aspects of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. They together may perhaps tell you why the whole struggle is about the national identity of Bharat. The relevance of Rama and other characters that make the story ageless, the amazing geographical spread that Ramayana enjoys, the historical facts that tell the existence of grand temple at Lord Ram’s birthplace in Ayodhya, historic personalities who vouched for the reverence of the place, the act of some historians who tried to distort the facts… Here we covered them all.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 4 The Significance of the Historic Moment in the Words of 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the shilanyas and laying the stones for the grand Rama Temple at Ayodhya, nearly five centuries of struggle saw a fruitful, fulfilling concluding moment. The words PM Modi spoke on the occasion captured the spirit of the accomplishment. Here are the key things he said in his long speech.

1. A grand temple will now be built for our Rama Lalla who had been staying in a tent for decades. The cycle of breaking and building again that had been going for years comes to an end.

2. The way boatmen to tribals helped Lord Rama, the way children helped Lord lift Govardhan mountain, similarly, with everyone’s efforts temple construction will be completed.

3. Rama Mandir will become the modern symbol of our traditions. It’ll become a symbol of our devotion, our national sentiment. This temple will also symbolise the power of collective resolution of crores of people. It will keep inspiring the future generations

4. Despite efforts to eradicate existence of Lord Rama he still lives in our heart. Rama is everywhere, Rama belongs to all.

5. The call ‘Jai SiyaRama’is resonating not only in the city of Lord Rama but throughout the world today.

6. The message of Lord Rama is to let no one be sad or deprived. Let no one remain poor, let every form of life be well taken care of. We need ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas’ to ensure ‘Sabka Vikas’.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 1 7. When India was colonised, there wasn’t a corner of India which did not sacrifice for the purpose of freedom, till we finally got it in 1947. Similarly, for justice to Lord Rama, hundreds of thousands of people sacrificed and contributed to ensure that we see this day today.

8. Different exist in different regions and in languages across the country. Even beyond India, Lord Rama is alive in many cultures. , which is the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has four different versions of Ramayana, and is a country where Lord Rama is still worshipped with divinity. You can find the versions of Ramayana in , , , , Sri , , and even and .

9. Lord Rama and the grand temple that will be constructed here will inspire humanity in many centuries to come.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 2 2 The Timeline of a Relentless Struggle for Ram Temple

This timeframe covers the invasion, the relentless pursuit of worshippers to reclaim the site, the convergence of many faiths, the archaeological excavations that revealed many facts, and the profound legal arguments put forth by Lord Rama’s worshippers.

The struggle for the temple at the birthplace of Rama has gone on for nearly 500 years. This timeframe covers the invasion, the relentless pursuit of worshippers to reclaim the site, the convergence of many faiths, the archaeological excavations that revealed many facts, and the profound legal arguments put forth by Lord Rama’s worshippers. At a time when the shilanyas to rebuild the temple is finally seeing the light of day, we take you through the important dates and events that tell the story of the long struggle that has finally come to a culmination.

1528 1608 1627 Mir Baqi, commander of European traveller British royal emissary Mughal emperor Babur William Finch visits Thomas Erbert visits The Invasion vandalises Ram Mandir, Ayodhya; notes India, notes reverence and puts a masjid in continued reverence for Ayodhya among place among on the Hindus site and their presence

1856-57 1855 1766 1717 A railing was set up by A clash at Austrian Jesuit Joseph Sawai Jai Singh, ruler Britishers to bifurcate Garhi; reference to Tieffenthaler visits of Amer, acquires the inner and outer Janamsthan come up , notes Hindus the land of the Ram courtyard as places of once again in the bid to worshipping a vedi within Janamsthan in Ayodhya worship between the quell the deadly clashes the Masjid and two communities not offering namaz

1858 1882 1885 Fakir Singh Khalsa, Mohammad Asghar files Mahant Raghubir Das Preservation a Nihang, conducts plea in District appeals for permission havan and puja inside Court, claims rent for to build a canopy outside of Faith Janamsthan, erects the use of Chabutara disputed structure in symbol of Sri Bhagwan inside the complex; Faizabad District Court; in the premises plea dismissed by court plea is rejected

1934 Especially in the midst of battle, when it would Clashes take place, be easy to release the arrow that takes a life. Deputy Collector reports significant damage to That’s when you have to be absolutely sure! structure

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 3 1949 1949 1950 Idols of Ram Lalla are KK Nair, the Gopal Simla Visharad files Rise of a found under central district magistrate suit in Faizabad District dome outside the of Faizabad, refuses to Court for right to worship mass remove Hindu idols from the Ram Lalla; Paramahansa disputed structure but temple. Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister Nehru Ramachandra Das files suit movement and Chief to keep idols in there and orders the removal of Minister GB Pant suspend continue worship idols from the site KK Nair

JULY 21, 1984 1983 1961 1959 Ram Janmabhoomi The Vishwa Hindu UP Sunni Central Waqf Nirmohi Akhara Samiti formed; Parishad (VHP) starts Board files a suit, claims files a suit, seeking Mahant Avaidyanath nationwide movement ownership of the site possession of the made its President for construction of disputed site temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya

FEB 1, 1986 1986 AUG 14, 1989 NOV 1989 Local court orders state Muslims set up the High Court VHP carries out government of the time Babri Masjid Action orders maintenance of Shilanyas ceremony in to open site for Hindu Committee status quo in respect of Ayodhya and the first worshippers the disputed structure, stone of the planned starts hearing case Ram temple is put in place

SEP 1990 BJP leader LK Advani starts Rath from Somnath in to Ayodhya. Advani gets arrested in during the Yatra

NOV 1990 MAY 1991 DEC 6, 1992 On the orders of the Leftist Historians on behalf of Babri Masjid Action The disputed then Chief Minister Committee try to undermine case through structure is Mulayam Singh Yadav, their faulty “Report to the Nation” brought down U.P. Police opens fire at Karsevaks, killing many

APRIL 3, 1993 1993 1993 ‘Acquisition of Certain Various writ petitions, The Area at Ayodhya Act’ including one by passed to acquire Ismail Faruqui, filed Final Lap land by Centre in the in Allahabad HC disputed area challenging various aspects of the Act

APR 2002 OCT 24, 1994 1993 Allahabad HC SC passes judgment in Supreme Court begins hearing historic Ismail Faruqui exercising its to determine the case; says mosque not jurisdiction under ownership of integral to Islam Article 139A transfers the disputed site writ petitions pending in the High Court

MAR 13, 2003 SEP 30, 2010 MAY 9, 2011 ‘SC says in the Aslam HC, in a 2:1 majority, SC stays HC verdict on alias Bhure case that no rules three-way division Ayodhya land dispute religious activity of any of disputed area nature is to be allowed between Sunni Waqf at the acquired land Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla MAR 21, 2017 AUG 7, 2017 FEB 8, 2018 JUL 20, 2018 SEP 27, 2018 CJI JS Khehar suggests SC constitutes three- SC starts hearing the SC reserves verdict SC declines to refer the out-of-court settlement judge bench to hear civil appeals case to a five-judge 2017 among rival parties pleas challenging 1994 Constitution bench. verdict of Allahabad HC Case is then to be heard by a newly constituted 2018 three-judge bench on October 29

DEC 24, 2018 OCT 29, 2018 SC decides to take up SC fixes the case for the Obstacles are the things a person petitions on case for first week of January sees when he takes his hearing on January 4, before an appropriate 2019 bench with a mandate of eyes off his goals deciding the schedule of hearing

JAN 4, 2019 JAN 8, 2019 JAN 10, 2019 SC says appropriate SC sets up five-judge Justice U U Lalit bench constituted by it Constitution Bench to recuses himself, 2019 will pass an order on hear the case prompting SC to January 10 for fixing the reschedule the hearing date of hearing in title for January 29 before a case new bench

MAR 8, 2019 FEB 26, 2019 JAN 29, 2019 JAN 25, 2019 SC refers the dispute SC favours mediation, Centre moves SC SC reconstitutes for mediation by a fixes March 5 for seeking permission to 5-member Constitution panel headed by order on whether to return 67-acre acquired Bench to hear the case former apex court refer matter to court- land around the judge F M I Kallifulla appointed mediator disputed site to original owners

APR 9, 2019 MAY 9, 2019 MAY 10, 2019 JUL 11, 2019 JUL 18, 2019 Nirmohi Akhara 3-member mediation SC extends time till Aug SC seeks report on SC allows mediation opposes Centre’s plea committee submits its 15 to complete mediation “progress of mediation” process to continue, in SC to return acquired interim report to SC process seeks outcome report land around Ayodhya by Aug 1 site to owners

OCT 4, 2019 OCT 4, 2019 AUG 6, 2019 AUG 2, 2019 AUG 1, 2019 SC directs UP govt to SC announces that it SC commences day-to- Mediation fails; SC Report of mediation provide security to state will wrap up hearing day hearing on the land decides to conduct day- submitted in sealed Waqf Board Chairperson on Oct 17 and pass the dispute to-day hearing cover to SC judgment by Nov 17 from Aug 6

OCT 16, 2019 SC concludes hearing; NOV 9, 2019 reserves order SC grants entire 2.77 acre of disputed land in Ayodhya to deity Ram Lalla, directs Centre and UP govt to allot 5 acre land to Muslims for mosque

AUG 5, 2020 FEB 5, 2020 Pujan of PM Modi Announces 15-Member Trust for 2020 Ram Mandir Ayodhya Ram Temple; with PM MODI 5 Acres Allotted for as the Chief Guest Masjid in Parliament The Truth Beneath 3 the Ground Reveals the Rich Cultural Heritage of Ram Janmabhoomi During these excavations, some very interesting archaeological items were unearthed which caught the imagination of the public.

After the Historic Rama Janmbhoomi verdict by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and formation of Ram Janmabhoomi Kshetra Trust, construction of the temple started in earnest. In preparation for the grand Shilanyas to be held tomorrow, some preparatory works like levelling of land and removing of gangway were undertaken. During these excavations, some very interesting archaeological items were unearthed which caught the imagination of the public.

This excavation is actually among a series of excavations being carried out since 1975 onwards. These excavations show the rich heritage and culture that the holy land of Ram Janmabhoomi holds and the special significance it holds for each and every Indian. From When did excavations start Initially? In 1969-70, the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology of Benaras Hindu University (BHU) had conducted excavations not only at Ayodhya but also at 4 more sites namely Sringaverapura, , Chitrakut and Nandigram under Prof AK Narain. Then, between 1975 and 1980, Prof BB Lal who once served as Director General of Archaeological Survey of India undertook a project called Archaeology of Ramayana Sites and even published his findings in Indian Archaeology 1976-77 – A Review. In fact, the first Indications of archaeological evidence of a temple below the Babri Masjid were given in 1988 by Professor BB Lal. What did the excavations reveal? The excavations revealed that the first occupation of Ayodhya could be assigned to early 7th century BC. It also revealed a break in occupancy as the findings did not indicate anything significantly related to the Gupta period.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 6 The excavations also revealed that the Ram Janmabhoomi Site was reoccupied in 11th century AD. These findings and much more were presented in a paper called “Historicity of the and the Ramayana: What has Archaeology to Say in the Matter” by Professor BB Lal in 1988 in a seminar organized by Indian Council of Historical Research on New Archaeology & India.

In this paper, Professor Lal stated that in the Janmabhumi area, the uppermost levels of a trench that lay immediately to the South of the Babri Masjid brought to light a series of brick-built bases which evidently carried pillars thereon. In the construction of the Babri Masjid a few stone pillars had been used, which may have come from the preceding structure. He also confirmed that among the remnants, a third of a temple lay beneath the Masjid.

On PM Shekhar’s request. Lal sent a letter to the Government on 3rd December 1990 where he stated that:

1. 14 tranches were laid out at different spots in Ayodhya, one of which was the area known as the Ram Janmabhumi.

2. On the basis of decorative motifs, sculptures etc these pillars are also ascribed to the 11th century AD.

3. Distinctive features found associated with the temples of north India including the archaeological evidence of a massive structure just below the disputed structure was found

4. There was also evidence of continuity in structural phases from the tenth century onwards upto the construction of the disputed structure along with the yield of stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of divine couple

5. Archaeologists also found carved architectural members including foliage patters, amalaka, kapotapali, doorjamb with semi-circular

Image: Illustrative Picture of a pilaster, broken octagonal shaft of black Pranala(water Chute) schist pillar, lotus motif, circular shrine having pranala (waterchute) in the north

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 7 6. Northern wall of the shrine contained a pranala, i.e. a water chute, which it opined to be a distinctive feature of temples in the plains of the – Yamuna.

As mentioned earlier these are distinctive features found associated with north Indian temples below the disputed structure of Babri Masjid Itself.

He also reported that excavation has uncovered the existence of a circular brick shrine with a circular exterior with an entrance from the east.

The architectural features of the early structure including its decorative motifs were revised in the construction of a monumental structure with a large pillared wall indicating evidence of a construction for public use, and a ‘makara pranali’ was excavated which is a water chute in form of a crocodile. Additionally, 263 pieces of terracotta objects of various gods and goddesses, human figures and female figures were also excavated.

Most importantly, the Shila Phalak, a tablet that spoke about the existence of a temple dedicated to the God who killed the 10 headed demon was found.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 8 Vishnu Hari Inscription Excavated from Ram Janmabhoomi Findings of 2003 Report In 1993, the President of India under Article 143 of Indian Constitution made a special reference to the Supreme Court of India on the following question:

Whether a or any Hindu religious structure existed prior to the construction of the Ram Janma Bhumi–Babri Masjid (including the premises of the inner and outer courtyards of such structure) in the area on which the structure stood?

Pursuance to this, the Allahabad High Court ordered excavation work to be carried out at the disputed site by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

In august of 2003, the ASI submitted a 574-page report consisting of written opinions, maps and drawings showing archaeological evidence of a massive structure beneath the disputed site with distinctive features such as Circular Shrine, Makar Pranala, Lotus Motif, Pillar Bases with carvings of animals, etc.

ASI report concluded that the archaeological evidence and other discoveries from the site were indicated distinctive features found associated with the temples of north India.

Media has reported that Grand Ram Janmabhoomi Temple will also include a Ram Katha Museum where such precious and rare artifacts which show the rich cultural heritage and living history of Ayodhya will be displayed for the generations of Hindus who will visit this holy shrine to see.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 9 They Too Visited Ayodhya 4 Facts Concealed by the Mainstream Media

A peek into the long thread of references and stories tell us so much about the significance of Ayodhya that even the courts had to agree to the significance of Ayodhya for the Hindus as a major pilgrim centre.

With the shilanyas of the Ram Mandir on 5th august 2020, it is important perhaps to look back and reflect at the various historical references to the importance of Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama. A peek into the long thread of references and stories tell us so much about the significance of Ayodhya that even the courts had to agree to the significance of Ayodhya for the Hindus as a major pilgrim centre.

Be it the various renditions of the Ramayana story within India and outside, or the Skanda Purana talking about the significance of Ayodhya and its location, scriptures are replete with their glorification. However, beyond the realms of faith too there are multiple references of historical figures visiting Ayodhya and linking themselves to the legend of Rama. Many of these proved instrumental for the verdict given by the Supreme Court, while others show the cultural continuum of faith that never let the memory fade away at any instance. Here are a few interesting insights on the people who visited Ayodhya.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 10 Buddha’s Records of Visit to Ayodhya and His Links With Rama There are two records of ’s visit to Ayodhya, which is also referred to as Saket in the Buddhist scriptural canon. In the Samyutta Nikaya Pitaka, the Phena Sutta refers to Buddha’s presence in Ayodhya as follows:

“On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Ayojjhans on the banks of the Ganges River….”

Similarly, in the Darukkhanda Sutta of the Anguttara Nikaya Pitaka, the Buddha’s presence in Ayodhya is recorded again

“On one occasion the Blessedd One was staying at Ajjheya on the bank of the river Ganges.”

Interestingly, The Buddha Gautama in the Dasaratha Jataka calls himself a reincarnation of Rama, having identified himself with the lineage of the clan. As stated in the Jataka:

The Master having ended this discourse, declared the Truths, and identified the Birth: (now at the conclusion of the Truths, the land-owner was established in the fruit of the First Path:) “At that time the king Suddhodana was king Dasaratha, Mahāmāyā was the mother, Rāhulā’s mother was Sītā, Ānanda was , and I myself was Rāma-pandita.”

The Buddhist rendition of the Ramayana as the Dasaratha Jataka, where Buddha in a previous Bodhisattva was Rama himself, highlights the significant presence of the legend of Sri Rama. Interestingly, Buddha’s Sakya clan itself claimed descent from the Ikshavaku clan to which Sri Rama belonged. Born and visiting Ayodhya and Ayodhya have a long relation. Also called Vishakha by the Jains, the city was the birth place of five Tirthankaras – five tirthankaras were born at Ayodhya, including , Ajitanatha, Abhinandananatha, Sumatinatha and Anantanatha. Interestingly, all of these Tirthankaras were born in the Ikshavaku clan to which Sri Rama himself belonged. In commemoration of the five Tirthankaras, five temples were constructed at the siteof their birth places, respectively at Muraitola Swargadvara, Saptsagar,

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 11 Saraya, near Ramakot, and near Golaghat, which were destroyed by Ghori invaders in the 11th century.

Jain texts also stand testimony to the visit of Lord , Jainism’s founder to this city. In another interesting twist, even Lord Mahavira is from the family that claimed descent from the Ikshavaku clan of Sri Rama.

Some of our readers may also be aware of the existence of the Jain Ramayana, which deals with the story of Ramayana. Known as the Paumacariya, the book refers to Sri Rama as Pauma (Lotus), and was written by the Jain Vimalasuri and renders the story differently. In this version, it is who ends up killing , while Rama and both renounce the world to become Jain ascetics towards the end. Chinese Traveller’s Fa Xian’s Records Chinese Traveler Fa Xian’s Records Mention His visit to Sha-Che or Saket, as Ayodhya was called by the Buddhists. His visit to India between 399-414 AD during the Gupta period, referred to as the golden era by many, also saw the emergence of more and more literature that glorified Rama, including the famous ballad Raghuvamsa by Kalidasa, which renders the story of the entire clan of Rama. As per scholarly translation of James Legge of the account, Fa Xian wrote as follows about his entry to Ayodhya and linked it back to Buddhist lore, given that he was a Buddhist pilgrim:

“Going on from this to the south—east for three yojanas, they came to the great kingdom of Sha-Che. As you go out of the city of Sha-Che by the southern gate, on the east of the road, (is the place) where the Buddha, after he had chewed his willow branch, stuck it in the ground, when it forthwith grew up seven cubits….”

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 12 Chinese Traveller Xuanzang’s Travel Records Xuanzang visited India when two titans – Harshavardhana and Pulakesin Chalukya II – were ruling large swathes of North and . During his visit in the period 629-645 AD to translate Buddhist scriptures for taking back to China, Xuanzang referred to Ayodhya as he had visited. As per Thomas Watters’ translation of his travel account:

From the neighbourhood of Navadevakula city according to the Records, the pilgrim continued his journey, going south-east; and after travelling about 600 li, and crossing the Ganges to the south, he reached A-yu-te (Ayudha or Ayodhya) country. Nanak’s Visit to Ayodhya went to Ayodhya and had darshan around 1510-1511 A.D, something attested in the various Janam Sakhis written about his life. This point was significantly highlighted during the Supreme Court proceedings, and became part of the final judgment too. From paragraph 11 of the Ayodhya judgment of the Supreme Court:

Guru Nanak Devji, after getting the appearance of God on the auspicious day, Bhadrapad Poornima, 1564-Vikrami = 1507 c.e. prepared him for going on . Then he went to Ayodhya via , , Sultanpur etc. Almost 3-4 years have passed in this journey. Similarly Guru Nanak Dev went on pilgrimage to see Shri Ram Janam Bhoomi Mandir in 1567-1568 Vikrami = 1510-11 Christian era. It is mentioned here that invader Babar has not invaded India by that time.”

Interestingly, the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, wrote his own rendition of the Ramayana in the Chaubis Avatar, part of the Dasam Granth, where Sri Rama was identified as one of the 24 or incarnations of Parmatma to destroy evil. Ganesh Kunwari, the Bundela Queen, Goes to Ayodhya One interesting account from the annals of history is the reference of Ayodhya soon after the demolition of the Ram Mandir with relation to the establishment of the Raja Ram temple in Orccha. Ganesh Kunwari, the wife of King Madhukar Shah Bundela (1554-1592 AD) found a of Rama in the Saryu river near Lakshman Kila, and brought it back to Orchha, from where the Bundelas ruled. The she found as per legend fulfilled her quest of finding Rama in Ayodhya and gave her victory against her husband’s challenge of

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 13 not returning home till she found Rama. The statue of Rama Lalla was installed in her palace, which later came to be known as Raja Ram temple. Clearly, Hindus maintained the importance of Ayodhya despite the horrific event that had taken place just a few years back in 1528. European Traveller Accounts of Ayodhya Post Demolition The importance of Ayodhya carried on despite the demolition, which became an instrumental fact for the Court in its judgment too. To that end, travelogues of foreigners visiting India during the 17th and 18th century AD were instrumental in recalling the public reverence despite the demolition. Many of these have also been documented by Professor Meenakshi Jain in her work on the historicity of Ayodhya and its significance for Hindus.

In 1608, the European traveller William Finch visited India and Ayodhya in particular. At the site, he noted continued reverence among Hindus on the site, finds their ‘active presence there’ performing worship, and believing that the site was the birthplace of Sri Rama. In 1627, the same reverence was noted by the British royal emissary Thomas Erbert. 1766 saw the famous Austrian Jesuit Joseph Tieffenthaler visit Awadh, where he noted how Hindus were worshipping a vedi in the premises of the Masjid. Interestingly, Tieffenthaler noted the absence of Muslims at the site offering namaz, and had also observed a large gathering of Hindus on the occasion of Rama .

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 14 Manthras Among Intellectuals 5 Role Played By Vested Parties In Stalling The Ram Mandir

Even the very question of the temple, despite overwhelming archaeological evidence, was continually hammered to create a false narrative.

While the Supreme Court gave the verdict in favour of the construction of the Ram Mandir, several left leaning historians and eminent lawyers spared no part in trying to mislead, fabricate evidence and even muddy the waters by casting aspersions on everything. Even the very question of the temple, despite overwhelming archaeological evidence, was continually hammered to create a false narrative. We list out these modern day Manthras who left no stone unturned in behaving obnoxiously. Left Leaning Historians Make False Claims Left historians joined the Ayodhya Debate in November 1989 when CHS, JNU issued “Political Abuse of History: Babri Masjid – Ramjanmabhumi Dispute – An Analysis of 25 Historians”.Prof S Gopal, Romila Thapar and Bipin Chandra were head signatories

According to the JNU historians there was no mention of a Ramjanmabhumi temple at Ayodhya before the 19th century Neither Abul Fazl nor referred to it

JNU historians also questioned the assumption that “Muslim rulers were invariably and naturally opposed to the sacred places of Hindus”. They recommended that the Ramjanmabhumi be declared as a National monument

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 15 Prof RS Sharma said that Ayodhya “has not been a of a very long standing”. He said there “was not a shred of historical evidence” to support the view that a Rama temple was demolished and that a mosque was raised in its place. He lamented thats “a lover of and architecture (Babar) should be credited with the destruction of a Rama temple which in any case did not exist”

Prof Romila Thapar in April 1990 speaking on “Different Versions of the Ramayana” censured the projection of ’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’s as the sole authentic rendition of Rama’s story. This, despite the fact that Valmiki’s rendition is acknowledged as the earliest surviving account of Rama’s life. The core of Valmiki’s story was developed into Ram as God incarnate, and around 300 retellings, according to Camille Bulke, were all retellings of Valmiki’s story

1. Left historians attempted to counter the centuries old belief & tried to assert that Babri Masjid was built on a vacant piece of land. Some of these historians appeared as experts of BMAC

2. Kunal Kishore, OSD, Ayodhya under PM VP Singh & Chandra Shekhar said that the “Political Abuse of History: Babri Masjid – Ramjanmabhumi Dispute – An Analysis of 25 Historians” tried to falsely claim that Babri was a protected monument by the ASI.

3. Eminent ‘historians’ RS Sharma, M Athar Ali, DN Jha and Suraj Bhan in 1991 wrote a letter to the then Union Minister of Home Affairs, attaching their report titled, ‘Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid: A Historians’ Report to the Nation’. They contended that there was no evidence of the existence of a temple, and added that the Hindus had not been able to cite any passage from ancient texts to back their claim, even calling the Skanda Purana, the only text quoted by these four, as full of interpolations and hardly authoritative in deciding on the existence of a temple.

4. Irfan Habib mounted a forceful campaign that the Treta Ka Thakur inscription was stolen from museum & placed at Ayodhya on 6th Dec 1992. In 2002, he alleged that the Vishnu Hari Shila was a plant and it belonged to a private collection.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 16 At the Indian History Congress 2006 he said that the inscription has been surreptitiously removed from Lucknow museum & paraded as a find from Babri Masjid. Eventually, through pictures it was established that Treta Ka Thakur and Vishnu Hari inscription found in 1992 are distinct epigraphs.

5. D Mandal, a pro-Babri archaeologist in his book, ‘Ayodhya: Archaeology After Demolition’, attempted to disprove BB Lal’s findings. However, during an examination in Allahabad HC Mandal confessed that his book was chiefly based on the photograph taken by Prof Lal near Babri Masjid. Further, as per court records, D Mandal “is not a Ph D but many have been awarded Ph D under his guidance.”

6. Sita Ram Roy was another historian to note who mentioned that Ramcharitmanas mentions Avadha or Koshala, not Ayodhya. Also, with respect to the Vishnu Hari Shila, he said that since the Vishnu Sahasranama did not mention Vishnu Hari as one of the names of Vishnu, he speculated that “Mandira” was used as a synonym for “House” and the place was home of a king named Vishnu Hari. At time of court examination however, he admitted that he had not seen full photograph – estampage of the inscription.

7. Dr KM Shrimali of the Delhi University warned that stone inscriptions could be forged, trying to muddy waters.

8. Ironically, with the exception of Suraj Bhan, none of the pro-Babri archaeologists had any experience in the field of archaeology. RC Thakran confessed in the court that he was just a “table archaeologist”, while D Mandal admitted that he had “acquired knowledge in archaeology”. Shereen Ratnagar admitted that she had “not done any digging & excavation on my own”, while Suraj Bhan confessed that he conducted excavations only prior to writing his Ph D Thesis. To top it all, Irfan Habib with no experience of archaeology called the ASI report an “unprofessional document full of gross omissions and one sided presentations of evidence to support the fiction of Sangh Parivar about the earlier existence of a temple”.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 17 Identification Of Ayodhya And Its Recognition As Tirtha

Left historians have questioned the identification of present day Ayodhya with Ayodhya of ancient times which they have located in Afghanistan & even Egypt.

Kalidasa in his Raghavamsha mentioned Saket several times, while Mallinatha explained “Of Saketa” i.e. of Ayodhya

RS Sharma’s former student Suvira Jaiswal deposed in the Allahabad High Court and admitted that it can be found from Jain religion that Ayodhya and Saket are the same, and that Lord Rama has been referred as Koshal Naresh. Further, popular memory only the present day counts as Ayodhya

Left historians attach no importance to Ayodhya, despite the opening verses of the Ramayana starting off with the mention of Ayodhya. Further, Sri Rama while showing the city to , and and said that Ayodhya is my birthplace, and north flows the .

Obfuscators Acting As Lawyers

Kapil Sibal of the Congress as a lawyer tried to stall the daily hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi case in the Supreme Court, saying that this judgment would affect 2019 elections, which is why the verdict should be delayed till then.

Rajeev Dhawan, when representing the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board in the Supreme Court tore Lord Ram’s ‘birthplace’ map following an argument between Dhavan and senior advocate Vikas Singh who was representing the All India Hindu Mahasabha and presented the fake Historians Report to the Nation to bolster his unfounded arguments.

Zafaryab Jilani, Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board’s lawyer who contested the case, had dismissed the position of the Allahabad High Court judgment that the site in question was the janmabhumi of Sri Ram, and had also played a critical role in the failure of the talks during Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s short tenure.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 18 How Characters from the Ramayana Give us the 6 Timeless Essence of Life

It is the story that connects every commoner across the country. The qualities which have made the story of Rama integral to people’s lives across large parts of , albeit with variations.

If the Ramayana was just a king’s story, people would have not nurtured this century after century and fought for the temple in Rama’s birthplace. It is the story that connects every commoner across the country. The qualities which have made the story of Rama integral to people’s lives across large parts of Asia, albeit with variations.

It is perhaps the values that the major characters of Ramayana stand for that resonate with people, and makes the appeal of these characters an ageless phenomenon. Let’s take a look at the characters of Ramayana. Lord Rama – The Elements Made Him God The godliness of Rama comes from the fact that whatever the adversity that life threw at him, he handled it with calmness and bravery. A person born in a royal family was forced to spend years in uncomfortable and dangerous wilderness. Yet, he did not blame destiny or showed any bitterness towards the people who were responsible for his plight.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 19 This calmness of Rama is not to be misunderstood as helplessness or a pacifist attitude. He was equally forceful in punishing unrepentant adversaries. Taking on Ravana who had the backing of a well- established empire of his own should have been a difficult thought for someone who is left on his own in the jungle. But Rama organised an army of his own amidst all the adversity.

At a time when momentary attractions and shallow relationships lead to mental problems, the commitment between Rama and Sita is worthy of reflection. As a king Rama could have married another woman. He chose to fight for his love and went all the way to Lanka to teach Ravana a lesson.

His entrepreneurial quality is evident in organising an army of Vanaras who can give their lives for the cause. His belief and feelings for the downtrodden is also an ageless lesson in governance. The Fearless Sita In the victory of righteousness in Ramayana, Sita’s role is equal to that of Rama. Even in the dire face of danger, in the detention of Ravana, she never broke down. She never budged. Her resolve that Ravana can be defeated and Rama will surely come for her was very firm. She can wait for any length of time to annihilate Ravana who stood for evil.

A woman who never thought twice in accompanying her husband in the hardship of forest life, a strong woman who fought back Ravana in the Ashoka vatika, she will always remain as symbol of fearlessness, independent, and strong-willed. Lakshmana – the Sense of Duty Lakshmana’s character signifies a strong sense of duty towards the cause. Here is a man who followed Rama and Sita, and remains forever obedient to the wishes of the elders. His unshakable faith and love on Sita and Rama could be the powerful family value for our generation or any generation to come for that matter.

For Lakshmana, sense of duty is always paramount. Always being vigilant and on guard to tackle evil, one should be ready to take the fight to the enemy camp when needed.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 20 Bharata In a world where the brothers kill each other to grab property or some position, the enduring story of Bharata who refused the throne since he believed to be the right of his brother Rama will always remain a deep touching point for our souls. He stands for righteousness, selfless service, and provides a model of governance with consensus-building. Hanuman Who would not want to have Hanuman on their side in any crucial fight? That is why he is the “sankatmochan” in the eyes of people.

Loyalty and self-less service to a larger cause are the qualities that Hanuman embodies. He is so powerful yet humble and rooted, a quality that does not come easily.

Besides these, there are umpteen number of characters that offer one or the other life lesson. From , one can learn how to bring up the daughters with good education and brave, wise qualities. The character of Sugriva tells you how to take care of friends and to fight till the end. How to be a true team player and a skill full leader, the characters of - may tell you, while inspires to make supreme sacrifice in the fight for righteousness, and Vibhishana teaches us how to keep the larger interests at the centre .

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 21 RAMAYANA 7 The Epic That Connects the Vast Geography of India

Ramayana is a pan-India epic. What is India without its geography, its huge mountains, sprawling rivers, bustling cities and holy sites? Ramayana aptly represents the geography of India, one which every region of India can connect. 1. Ayodhya The capital of Raja Dashratha and birth place of Sri Rama, it is located on the banks of Sarayu river. It is the holiest site for Indians, a cradle for Indian civilization and a site of historical importance. Be it Benaras or Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh is at the center of Hindu religion 2. / Sita, the avatar of Goddess Laxmi, spent her childhood in Mithila kingdom. It is split today between Nepal and Bihar in India, with today’s Janakpur in Nepal. A prosperous province with perennial rivers and forests, no wonder Sita herself represented prosperity and victory. Ramayana mentions how young Rama and Laxmana accompanied sage Vishwamitra from Sarayu till kingdom, crossed the and went to Mithila kingdom in northern Bihar. 3. Rama’s step mother hailed from Kekaya kingdom. Ramayana mentions that Kekaya was located beyond the Vipasa (Beas) river. Its capital Girivraja is located in the doab of Chenab and Ravi. Northwestern India, including today’s has civilizational links to Ayodhya through Kaikeyi.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 22 4. Bringing Back Bharata to Ayodhya When departed the world, Bharata was at his grandfather’s place in Kekaya. Messengers were sent to recall back Bharata. Ramayana mentions the messengers travelled west up to Hastinapura in modern day Indraprastha. They crossed Ganga and arrived at in modern day Haryana. They further travelled west crossing Vipasa river (Beas) and reached Kekaya. 5. Sringaverapura Located near Prayag, it is here when Rama, Sita and Laxmana crossed the Ganga and began travelling south. Ramayana mentions how they travelled through kingdom and reached the hermitage of sage Bharadvaja at Sringaverapura and crossed the river Ganga and proceeded towards Chitrakoot. 6. Chitrakoot Located in around the scenic Vindhya ranges, this place saw Sri Rama, Sita and Laxmana spend 11 years of their exile. This was where seers like resided. When Rama was at Chitrakoot, his brother Bharata visited him giving the news of demise of Dasharatha. A place called Bharat Milap exists today here. 7. Literally named as a “forest of the punished”, the forest today lies in , Madhya Pradesh and parts of . Here, Sri Rama and Laxmana are said to have killed , a tormenting the seers. 8. Ramtek After crossing Dandakaranya, Sri Rama went to the ashram of sage near Ramtek in today’s Maharashtra. The trio rested there for a few days. It is said that in the hills of Ramtek, Kalidasa composed his Meghadoota in later times. A temple of Sri Rama is built at Ramtek, a place that became holy due to the lotus feet of Sri Rama. 9. Panchavati Located in Nasik district of Maharashtra around the , Panchavati is considered the best period of Rama’s exile given the beautiful forest. It is here that Laxmana cut the nose of Surpanakha

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 23 (hence the place is called Nasik). disguised himself as a gold deer and lured Sri Rama in the forest. The famous Laxman Rekha was marked here. But Ravana managed to kidnap Sita from Panchavati 10. Sri Rama set out in the search of Sita. Travelling south, he reached Pampa Sarovar, one of the five sacred lakes in located near Hampi in . Here, he found waiting for his blessings and attain . Upon listening to Sri Rama, Shabari advised them to seek help from Sugriva, whose kingdom lay south of Pampa Sarovar. 11. Located in Karnataka, Kishkindha was the forested kingdom of Sugriva. He was exiled by and was living at Rishyamukha mountain along with Hanuman. Sri Rama met Sugriva and Hanuman and promised to win back Kishkindha. It is in the surrounding region lies the Anjaneya Parvat, the birth place of Lord Hanuman. Karnataka is thus the land where Sri Rama met his most trusted supporters 12. Vanaras Set Out in All Directions In the Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana, Sugriva now asks Vanaras to set out in all directions in search of Sita. The places he asks the Vanaras to visit shows the extent of Indian civilization of those days.

Vanaras were asked to search near river Sarasvati which used to flow in today’s Haryana and Rajasthan.

They were asked to go up till river Sindhu i.e Indus which flows from to Sindh

He mentions river Mahi that flows from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat to meet the Arabian Sea

He asks Vanaras to search kingdoms like Pundra and , both are located in modern day West and Bangladesh

13. Malyavat Mountains Hanuman set south in search of Sita. He is said to have crossed the Malyavat mountains located in southern and . Sri Rama also later came to these mountains in his quest to reach Lanka

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 24 14. Jatayu’s Death Jatayu, the giant vulture, tried to save Sita from the clutches of Ravana. He followed them for a long time but was ultimately slain by Ravana. Jatayu fell on ground at a place in called . Sri Rama is said to have visited Jatayu when he got to know the entire episode. He even performed the last rites of Jatayu. A massive statue of Jatayu is erected today at the hilltop. 15. Rameshwaram After obtaining confirmed information that Sita was in Lanka, Sri Rama arrived at the tip of the coast at Rameshwaram. He saw the sea and prayed there for a solution. It is here that that the sea god blessed him and said any object with Rama’s name will float on water. The Ramsetu begins from here. After returning from Lanka, Sri Rama also prayed to Lord . He built a near the coast which is today’s , one of the twelve of Shiva. 16. Dronagiri While at war in Lanka, Laxmana was injured by Indrajeet, the son of Ravana. Hanuman was asked to fetch the herb from Dronagiri mountains. The mountain is today called , located in .

Ramayana underscores the sacred geography of India. No wonder it is said that any village you visit in India, the common thing to be found is the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. That is the appeal of Lord Ram!

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 25 HOW THE RAM TEMPLE 8 in Ayodhya is Relevant Beyond India

Imagine an ideal person whose life story gives framework for ethical behaviour to even illiterate masses. Imagine a hero which children can be asked to follow. Yes, we are talking about Lord Rama and Ramayan.

Imagine a figure revered across millions of people for over the unknown number of generations. Imagine an ideal personality which Kings wanted to model themselves on. Imagine a story central to the cultures transcending boundaries of today’s India. Imagine an ideal person whose life story gives framework for ethical behaviour to even illiterate masses. Imagine a hero which children can be asked to follow. Yes, we are talking about Lord Rama and Ramayan. Rama as an Ideal King In many South-East Asian Buddhist countries like , Cambodia etc Lord Rama is held as the ideal King. Even kings in these countries have used the name Rama and symbolisms in the ceremonies to show the resemblance to Ayodhya. Names of ancient cities like Ayutthaya (Ayodhya in the local language), etc were indeed based on the life story of Rama. In Thailand, though the King was Buddhist, he established his royal credentials by identifying himself with the virtuous king Lord Rama.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 26 Korean Connection As per the Korean folklore, Queen Suriratna (Heo Hwang-ok) was a princess in ancient Ayodhya who travelled to Korea 2,000 years ago (48 AD) and married a king of the Kim community. It is believed by the Kim people of Korea that a princess of Ayodhya had gone to South Korea who got married to a King Kim Suro. According to some Korean historians, there are more than six million present-day Koreans, of which the majority are from Gimhae Kim clan with surnames Heo and ol (Lee/Yi) that trace their lineage to the legendary queen. In November 2018, The First Lady of South Korea, Kim Jung-sook visited the Ayodhya. Every year people come to Ayodhya to pay tribute to the princess at her motherland and visit the memorial to their royal ancestor on the west bank of Saryu river in the Ayodhya.

Celebration of Rama in Different Cultures of South East Asia The we celebrate in India, has its variant in Phillipines known as Singkil!

Similarly, Lord Ram’s legend runs deeper in these countries and is a common thread invariably uniting India and South-East Asia. is the Thai version of the Ramayana and the popular dance- form that represents this is .

In Cambodia, the epic is known as or Ramakerti and its dance form Khmer, while on , Bali and islands it is called and the dance form is The dance

The Philippines celebrates it as Maharadia Lawana and its famous dance form is Singkil

Hikayat Seri Rama is the Malay version, while Phra Lak Phra Rama is the in .

Myanmar calls the Rama story Zatdaw.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 27 These are evidences of a long cultural connections between India and .

Here is an exhaustive list of versions of Ramayana one can see across South East Asia.

Country Ramayana is known as (China) Langka Sip Hor

Japan Ramaenna or Ramaensho

Cambodia Reamker

Indonesia Ramakavaca, Kakawin Ramayana, Yogesvara Ramayana, Ramayana Swarnadwipa Laos Phra Lak Phra Lam, Gvay Dvorahbi

Malaysia , Hikayat Maharaja Wana

Myanmar (Burma) Yama Zatdaw (Yamayana)

Philippines Maharadia Lawana, (Moro)

Thailand Ramakien, Phommachak

Nepal Siddhi Ramayan, Bhanubhaktako Ramayan

Sri Lanka Janakiharan

Iran (Persia) Dastan-e-Ram O Sita

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 28 Thus, Lord Rama is revered across more than a billion of humanity acting as a bonding force even in modern times. Although the Ramayana says Lord Rama crossed the sea to go to Lanka, the life story and the ideals have appeal as an ethical compass for humanity across the ocean. It shows deep civilizational and historical relations between India and other countries. The decision of Ayodhya case is not just about a temple but about an ideal across shared culture.

Now, with Ram temple being built at the birthplace, Ayodhya may become a world’s prominent tourist centre in the years to come.

Rama Returns| An Account of Ayodha Struggle and Justice | 29

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