Ayodhya and the Battle for India s Soul

Ayodhya and the Battle for India s Soul

Babri Masjid (The Mosque of Babur) Built in 1528-29 A.D. by Mir Baqi, under Emperor Babur

December 6, 1992 Razed to the ground by 150,000 Hindus with axes, hammers, grappling hooks, etc. within hours..!

This is the story of.: 1. A God 2. A King 3. A Mosque that s no more 4. Aand, the rise of right-wing Hindu Nationalism in India..

The story of Rama: Ramayana A 24,000 verse epic poem written in Sanskrit Written by Valmiki - supposedly a contemporary of Rama Historical estimate: between 500-300 BCE Oldest manuscript existing today ~ 6th century A.D.

The British Library Image Catalogue: taken from the Bala Kanda (first book of the Ramayana) from a manuscript produced in Udaipur, India in 1712.

Rama Weds Sita: Madhubani fork art, 2012

Raja Ravi Verma Oil Painting (1880 s)

Source of Picture: Chitra Ramayana by Ramachandra Madhwa Mahishi, Illustrated by Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi, 1916

Pahari Cloth Painting(1700-1710)

The British Library Image Catalogue: taken from a manuscript produced in Udaipur, India in 1712.

Raja Ravi Verma Oil Painting (1890 s)

~1690 s painting @ the Brooklyn Museum s Ramayana series

Rama meets Sugriva: 1170 Sculpture, Amrutheshwara Temple, Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India

Rama defeats Ravana: Marwar Painting c.1780

Dusshehra: Ravan Dahan (Burning of Ravana)

Diwali: the Festival of Lights Bombay 2014

Emperor Babur Born on14 Feb 1483 in Andijan (present day Uzbekitstan) Reign: 1526-1530 Founder of the Mughal Empire Grandfather of Akbar the Great No mention of Babri Masjid in his autobiography, BaburNama 17th Century Portrait: Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum

16th century painting, Babur at war: Babur conquers much of present day Pakistan, Afghanistan and northern India

Source: Richard Eaton, Temple Desecration and Indo- Muslim States, Frontline, January 5 2001

1850 s: Establishment of British Raj First reported incidents of violence of Hindus against the mosque 1853: Nirmohi Akhara, a group of armed Hindu ascetics storm the Babri Masjid 1858 Battle: Mughal empire decimated completely

Early 1900 s

August 14 1947: Pakistani Independence Day August 15 1947: Indian Independence Day January 30 1948: Mahatma Gandhi assassinated

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 nationalists broke into the mosque and placed idols of Rama inside. People were led to believe that the idols had `miraculously' appeared inside the mosque. The date of the event was 22 December 1949. 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 staking their respective claims to the site. The land was declared to be under dispute, and the gates remained locked.

Sangh Parivar

Political Wing of the RSS: Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)

Videoo..?

Indian General Elections: 1989-2014

Bombay Riots: 1992-93: 2000 Muslims killed Gujarat Riots, 2002: 800 Muslims killed; 250 Hindus killed

khudaa-e-bartar terii zamii.n par zamii.n kii khaatir, yeh jang kyo.n hai? har ek fatah-o-zafar ke daaman pe khuun-e-insaa.n kaa rang kyo.n hai? zamii.n bhii terii, hai.n ham bhii tere. yeh milkiiyat kaa savaal kyaa hai? yeh qatl-o-khuu.n ka rivaaj kyo.n hai? yeh rasm-e-jang-o-jadaal kyaa hai? jinhe.n talab hai jahaan bhar kii, unhii.n kaa dil itnaa tang kyo.n hai? ~ Sahir(1963) O superior Lord, why is there this war over land in your world? Why does human blood stain the foothills of every victory and triumph? This land is yours, and we are yours. Then, what is this question of ownership and possession? What are these traditions of bloody murder? What are these rules of wars and disputes? Those who have a desire to rule the world, why are their hearts so troubled?