Ayodhya Ram Mandir first anniversary: A look at timeline of events

The Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's grand temple took place on January 22, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the rituals, with people from all walks of life taking part in the ceremony. 

In 1528, Mughal commander Mir Baqi under first Mughal ruler, Babur, constructed the Babri Masjid. Later in 1853, the Hindu section claimed that the mosque was built after destroying the pre-existing Ram Temple. Notably, this was the first time when the conflict became legal. 

After the legal battle escalated, the then-British government bifurcated the disputed site into two parts in 1859, allowing Muslims to pray inside the temple. Moreover, Hindus were permitted to worship in the outer courtyard of the site. In 1949, the government declared the masjid a ‘disputed property’. 

It was in the 90's that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement started, led by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Lal Krishna Advani. In 1990, following Advani's arrest in Bihar, violence erupted in many parts of the country. 

On December 6, 1992, thousands of Hindus gathered in Ayodhya and demolished Babri Masjid, which further led to the collapse of the then-Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh. In 2003, a court-ordered survey began at the disputed site to determine the presence of the temple. 

In 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the disputed 2.77-acre site should be shared between Hindus and Muslims. However, the top court had in 2011 suspended the ruling after an appeal from both Hindu and Muslim groups. 

In 2017, the Supreme Court offered to settle the dispute through mediation, which failed. In 2019, the top court ruled that the disputed land should be transferred to a trust for the construction of Ram Temple with certain conditions. Additionally, a separate piece of land was allocated to Muslims.