Ram Mandir

The Ram Mandir (ISO: Rāma Maṁdira, lit. 'Rama Temple'), is a Hindu temple complex in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. Many Hindus believe that it is located at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, the mythical birthplace of Rama, a principal deity of Hinduism. It is one of the most visited Hindu temples in India. The site of the temple has been the subject of communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims, as it is the former location of the Babri Masjid, a mosque built around 1529. In the 1850s, the British erected a fence, and Hindus were allowed to worship in the outer courtyard. In 1949, the Murti (transl. sacred idol) of Rama was placed inside the fence. In 1980s, a campaign was launched by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to claim the site for Hindus, which led to the structure being attacked and demolished in 1992. In a 2019 judgement, the Supreme Court awarded the disputed site to Hindus for the construction of a temple, while Muslims were given land nearby in Dhannipur in Ayodhya to construct a mosque. The court referenced a report from the Archaeological Survey of India of a non-Islamic structure beneath the demolished Babri Masjid. A bhūmi pūjana (transl. ground breaking ceremony) for the construction of the Ram Mandir was performed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2020. The temple's construction was supervised by a trust, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. On 22 January 2024, Modi performed the prāṇa pratiṣṭhā (transl. consecration) of the temple. On the day it opened, the temple received more than half a million visitors, and after a month, the number of daily visitors was reported to be between 100,000 and 150,000. An independent trust, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, has been tasked with the management of the temple complex. There...