Ayodhya's Ram temple to be 161-feet tall, two 'mandaps' added to design

The height of Ayodhya’s Ram temple would be 161-feet, an increase by 20-feet from the previous design, according to Nikhil Sompura, architect and the son of C Sompura, chief architect of the temple

The height of Ayodhya’s grand Ram temple would be 161-feet, an increase by 20-feet from the previous design which was prepared in 1988, according to Nikhil Sompura, architect and the son of C Sompura, chief architect of the temple.

“The earlier design was made in 1988, now over 30 years have passed and so the footfall will increase with time. People are also very enthusiastic about visiting the temple so we thought its size should be increased. In view of this, the height of the Ayodhya ram temple has been increased from 141-feet to 161-feet,” Nikhil Sompura told ANI here.He said that two mandaps’ have been added to the design.

“All pillars and the stones that were carved based on the earlier design will still be used, they will not be wasted. Only two ‘mandaps’ have been added to the design,” he added. Nikhil said that it was a matter of great pride for him and his family that they had been bestowed the honour of designing the temple and said that the shrine will be ready for devotees after 3.5 years.

“Once the ‘bhoomi-pujan’ is done in the presence of the Prime Minister, the construction work will start. The team of L & T, along with machinery and materials, have reached the spot and the work on foundation will start right away. It will take 3 to 3.5 years for the completion of the work,” he said.

Congress’ NYAY is a short cut; BJP tally will go up this time: PM Modi

He said that Congress has people with experience of governance and a more mature and believable manifesto was expected from the Congress Party

Lok Sabha elections 2019: In an interview to a Hindi TV channel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that what Congress has done in the past and what they are promising in their manifesto is not doable and right for the nation. He said that NYAY is a short cut by Congress which is deplorable.

On the question of administration, Modi said, “During the previous election campaigns, I said to the people that they have seen the 60-year administration, now give me 60 months. There have been two PMs who have not been from Congress gotra. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi, and we work for the people.”

Taking a dig at the Congress manifesto, he said that Congress has people with experience of governance and a more mature and believable manifesto was expected from the Congress Party. He said, “On railway lines, it is written short cut will cut you short. That is what they are doing. NYAY is a short cut. They failed on all promises throughout.” He said that the intellectuals and economists of the country should analyse and tell if their promises in the manifesto of Congress can be delivered or not.

AFSPA: Modi said that Congress’ stance is deplorable. He said “We want a country where an AFSPA is not needed. But first, let’s reach that stage… The India forces contribute to huge numbers in peacekeeping forces and behave very professionally, but doing away with AFSPA is not possible, not unless the situation is better. Modi said his government has been doing away with laws that are redundant and no one has questioned those moves. Sedition law must stand and criminals should be dealt with the full force of the law.” Congress’ manifesto is in sync with the language separatists use for our country, he said…

Mediation in Ayodhya title dispute: Taking the most suitable course ahead

The parties concerned must approach the mediation with open hearts and find a solution that leads to lasting peace

Current Affairs: The appropriation of history is a continual process in any society. However, in a multi-religious society like India, appropriations drawing exclusively on communal identities engender endless conflicts. The appropriation of history with regard to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute has been at the core of a violent political movement — one which has claimed the lives of many Indian citizens.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of India ordered the parties in the Ayodhya title dispute to go for in-camera mediation. The court also appointed a panel of mediators headed by a former Justice of the Supreme Court. The court’s decision to look for a mediated solution, as opposed to a contested one does not come as surprise. In order to understand the court’s decision, it is imperative to first understand the history of the conflict.

The most contested piece of real estate in India

Deep within the lanes of Ayodhya is a 0.313-acre piece of land — arguably the most contested real estate in India. Hindus consider it the birthplace of Lord Rama, the Ram Janmabhoomi. It is believed that nearly 500 years ago, in 1528, Babur’s general Mir Baqi destroyed a Ram temple to erect at the spot a mosque, called the Babri Masjid.

Shortly after partition and the Independence of India, in December 1949, idols of Ram and Sita appeared at the ‘Janmasthan’. The Hindus claim that this was a miracle, and proof of their claim that the place was the birthplace of Lord Rama. Contrary to this theory, the FIR recorded at Ayodhya police station on December 23 states that three individuals (Abdy Ram Das, Ram Shukla Das and Sudarshan Das), along with some 50-60 people, had trespassed the mosque in order to install the idol.

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SC refers Ayodhya land dispute case for mediation, gives 8 weeks to panel

Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment

Current Affairs: The Supreme Court on Friday referred the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for mediation by a panel headed by former apex court judge F M I Kallifulla and gave it eight weeks to complete the process.

The other members of the panel will be spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu, said a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The bench directed that the mediation will be held at Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and the process should start within a week from Friday.

The bench, also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, said the panel should file a progress report of the proceedings within four weeks and complete the process within eight weeks The apex court said “utmost confidentiality” should be maintained to ensure success of the mediation process and no media, neither print nor electronic,should report the proceedings. The panel of mediators can co-opt more members in the team, it said. In case of any difficulty, the chairman will inform the apex court registry about it, it added…|Raed More

Ayodhya case: A timeline of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title dispute case today. Here is a timeline of the case and various key developments in the story so far

BS: A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has begun hearing the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title dispute case today. Let’s take a look at the various important developmennts in the case over the decades leading up to today.

Dome to doom

1528: Mughal emperor Babur constructs a mosque and it is named Babri

December 23, 1949: Lord Ram’s idols are planted inside the central dome. Both sides file court cases; the site is locked

December 17, 1959: The Nirmohi Akhara files a suit seeking possession of the site and claims to be the custodians of the disputed land

December 18, 1961: The Sunni Central Board of Waqf files a suit claiming ownership of the site

1984: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) launches a campaign for the construction of the Ram temple at the Janmabhoomi site

February 1, 1986: Faizabad district court orders the gates of the mosque be opened and Hindus be allowed to worship there. Muslims protest the move and forms Babri Mosque Action Committee

November 9, 1989: VHP lays the foundation of a Ram temple on land next to the Babri Masjid following permission from the then Rajiv Gandhi government

September 25, 1990: Then BJP President L K Advani launches his Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. He is arrested in Bihar’s Samastipur in November December 6, 1992: The disputed Babri Mosque is razed to the ground by karsevaks…

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SC to hear Ayodhya title dispute case today: Everything you need to know

How did the Ayodhya land dispute case get to where it is?

Latest News: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Ayodhya title suit regarding the Babri masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi land dispute would be heard by a five-judge Constitution bench on January 10 (Thursday).

The bench will be led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, with the other four judges being Justices S.A. Bobde, N.V. Ramana, U.U. Lalit and D Y Chandrachud. The Supreme Court began hearing the case in December 2017, when the Allahabad high court decision to split the land three ways was appealed.

In the last week of September 2018, the Supreme Court refused to refer to a five-judge Constitution bench a 24-year-old case – the Ismail Faruqui judgment – that said offering prayers in a mosque is not an “essential feature” of Islam. Justice Ashok Bhushan authored the majority judgment, for himself and then Chief Justice Dipak Misra. Justice S.A. Nazeer was the dissenting judge….

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What the Ismail Faruqui judgment of 1994 was about

The petitioner, Ismail Faruqui, challenged the validity of the Acquisition of Certain Area At Ayodhya Act, 1993, under which 67.703 acres were acquired in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court held that “any step taken to arrest escalation of communal tension” can “by no stretch of argumentation, be termed non-secular”.

Keep Reading: Ayodhya land dispute