Ayodhya, August 4: The stage is all set for bhumi pujan or the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5. Ram temple is built on the land where Babri Masjid once stood. The dispute between Hindus, who believe the land to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, and Muslims was settled after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict last year, ending the second-lengthiest case in the apex court history. Here is the timeline of India's one of the most contentious case. Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan Guest List: From Mohan Bhagwat to Iqbal Ansari, Here's The List of Invitees For The Event in Ayodhya.

  • Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur's commander Mir Baqi in 1528.

  • In 1885, Mahant Raghubir Das filed a petition in the Faizabad District Court, seeking permission to build raise a structure next to the mosque. The plea was rejected.

  • In 1949, idols of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita were found inside Babri Masjid by unknown persons. Hindus called it divine appearance and started offering prayers.

  • The next year, two suits were filed in a Faizabad court by Gopal Simla Visharad and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das, seeking permission to worship the idols at the mosque.

  • In 1959, Nirmohi Akhara filed suit seeking possession of the site.

  • In 1981, Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board filed suit for possession of the site and removal of idols from the mosque.

  • A local court ordered the opening of the site and allows Hindus to offer prayers in 1986.

  • Three years later, the Allahabad High Court ordered status quo on the site. Rajiv Gandhi government at the Centre also let Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) perform shilanyaas for Ram temple.

  • In 1990, BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani started his Rath Yatra from Gujarat to gather support for the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site.

  • The Babri mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992, by 'karsevaks' who believed the structure was built at a spot that is the birthplace of Lord Rama.

  • In 1993, the Centre passed an Act to acquire land in and around the disputed site in Ayodhya.

  • In 2002, the Allahabad High Court started hearing to adjudicate the ownership of the disputed site.

  • Eight years later, the Allahabad High Court ruled trifurcation of the 2.77-acre disputed land between UP Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman.

  • In 2011, the Supreme Court stayed the Allahabad High Court order.

  • In January 2019, then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi constituted a five-judge Constitutional Bench to hear the case.

  • The apex court also appointed a mediation panel headed by Judge (retd) FMI Kallifulla for an out-of-court settlement on March 8.

  • The mediation panel failed to reach an amicable settlement. Subsequently, the Supreme Court began hearing on August 6.

  • After hearing the case on a day-to-day basis for 40 days, the court reserves its order on October 15.

  • The decades-old dispute was settled in November last year when the Supreme Court ordered that the site be given to a trust to build a Ram temple, and that alternative land be provided to the Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya for a mosque. Ram Temple 'Bhumi Pujan' in Ayodhya Live Streaming: When And Where to Watch Online Telecast of August 5 Foundation-Laying Ceremony For Construction of Ram Mandir.

  • Acting on the Supreme Court's direction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February this year announced the constitution of a trust - Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Shetra - which would oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Aanandiben Patel and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat are on the list of prominent invitees. The first invitation was sent to Iqbal Ansari, one of the Muslim litigants in the Ayodhya dispute.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 04, 2020 07:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).