1885
Jan 15: In 1st court case, Nirmohi Akhara mahant Raghubar Das seeks permission to construct a ‘mandap’ atop the platform in front of the mosque allegedly built at the birth place of Lord Ram in Ramkot by Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 Feb 24: Court of sub-judge Harikishan junks it
1886
Mar 17: Raghubar Das challenges the decision in district court, which says it’s too late to amend a ‘mistake committed over 350 years ago’ Nov 1: Raghubar Das appeals to the top court of the province, which dismisses it
1949
Dec 22-23: Idol of Ram Lalla appears inside the mosque after a Ramayan paath by Goraksha Peeth chief Mahant Digvijay Nath; Muslim side claims that the idol was kept by Hindu leaders; Hashim Ansari files plea from Muslim side
1950
Jan 6: Gopal Singh Visharad of Hindu Mahasabha and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandradas of Digambar Akhara move Faizabad court seeking right to worship Jan 19: Civil judge restrains Muslim side through temporary injunction from removing the idol
1951
March 3: The court passes interim order allowing puja and asks the Muslim parties not to interfere
1955
Apr 26: Allahabad HC endorses the order of March 3, 1951
1959
Dec 17: Nirmohi Akhara files the third suit in the matter claiming to be the custodian of Ram Janmasthan
1961
Dec 18: A fourth suit filed by Sunni Central Waqf Board, staking claim to not only the mosque property but also the adjacent land; 6 Muslim plaintiffs, including Ansari, are party to the plea
1964
Aug 29: VHP formed in presence of then RSS chief MS Golwalkar and Akali Dal chief Master Tara Singh
1984
Apr 7-8: Dharm Sansad in Delhi raises Ram Janmabhoomi ‘liberation’
1984
June 18: Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Yagya Samiti formed with Mahant Avaidyanath as chairman and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das as vice-chairman
1985
Sept 18: ‘Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas’ formed under Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Shiv Ramacharya; Ashok Singhal, then VHP gen secy, appointed convener and Vishnu Hari Dalmiya treasurer
1986
Feb 1: On a plea filed by Faizabad lawyer Umesh Chandra Pandey, district judge KM Pandey orders opening of disputed site’s locks for Hindu worshippers; allows puja inside Feb 3: Hashim Ansari moves Lucknow bench of HC against the order Feb 6: Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) formed
1989
Feb 1: At Prayagraj Dharm Sansad, VHP fixes Nov 10 as the date for temple foundation June 8-9: At its Palampur convention, BJP, for the first time, announces to join Ram temple movement, saying it is a ‘matter of faith and courts can’t decide it’ Oct-Nov: Over 3 lakh Ramshilas reach Ayodhya for Nov 10 ‘shilanyas’
1990
June: VHP fixes Oct 30 as the date to start the temple construction July-Oct: VP Singh govt begins efforts for negotiations Sept 25: Then BJP chief LK Advani starts rath yatra from Somnath; It was to reach Ayodhya by Oct 30 Oct 19: Centre passes an ordinance to acquire the disputed land and hand it over to RJB Nyas, but takes it back within three days Oct 23: Then Bihar CM Lalu Prasad stops Advani’s rath and arrests him in Samastipur Oct 30-Nov 2: Lakhs of kar sevaks reach Ayodhya to start temple construction, partially damage mosque; Then UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav orders police firing to control mob; 17 kar sevaks killed Nov 7: VP Singh govt falls after BJP withdraws support and Chandrashekhar becomes PM
1991
May: Rajiv Gandhi assassinated in middle of general elections. Cong wins the poll, Narsimha Rao becomes the PM; In UP, BJP comes to power, Kalyan Singh appointed CM Sept 18: Narsimha Rao govt passes Places of Worship Act, which says that a mosque, temple, church or any place of public worship in existence on August 15 1947, will retain the same religious character that it had on that day Oct: Kalyan Singh govt acquires 2.77 acre land around the disputed site Oct 25: HC allows UP govt to take control of acquired land but stops it from raising any structure on it Nov 2: Kalyan Singh gives assurance at the National Integration Council that the ‘structure’ will be protected
1992
Feb: UP govt starts construction of boundary wall around the disputed site March: 42.09 acre land acquired near the dispute site in 1988-89 was handed over to RJB Nyas; The land was levelled over the next three months after razing the existing structures May: Muslim side moves HC seeking to stall the levelling work on 42.09 acre land; HC refuses to stay levelling work July 9: VHP resumes kar sewa, construction of a concrete platform near shilanyas site begins July 15: HC stays kar sewa and construction work July: Contempt plea filed in SC against Kalyan Singh July 23: SC stops construction work; PM Rao appeals to seers to break the deadlock July 26: VHP stops kar sewa for 3 months Aug: After Rao’s assurance in Parliament that he is talking to both sides, an Ayodhya Cell formed in the PMO, with ex-cabinet secy Naresh Chandra as chairman Oct: On PM’s initiative, two rounds of talks take place between BMAC and VHP Oct 30: Dharm Sansad announces resumption of kar sewa on Dec 6 Nov 27: UP govt files an affidavit in SC that no permanent construction will take place at the disputed site; SC appoints it observer for Ayodhya to there is construction on Dec 6 Dec 3: Over 25,000 paramilitary forces stationed in Ayodhya Dec 6: Lakhs of people arrive in Ayodhya for kar sewa; disputed structure razed leading to nationwide communal riots, leaving over 2,000 dead; Kalyan Singh resigns before Centre sacks his govt and imposes Prez rule; Idols placed in the makeshift temple made of tent by evening; Two FIRs are lodges at Ram Janmabhoomi thana — No 197 against thousands of unnamed kar sevaks for razing the structure and No 198 against 49 prominent saffron leaders like Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, Ashok Singhal Dec 7-8: Central forces take control of the disputed site Dec 10: Centre bans RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and Jamaat-e-Islami Dec 13: FIR no 197 in demolition case handed over to CBI; FIR No 198 to CB-CID of state police Dec 15: Centre sacks BJP govts in Rajasthan, MP and HP Dec 16: Advani and seven others sent to Lalitpur jail Dec 16: Retired CJ of AP high court, MS Liberhan, appointed as a 1-man commission to probe demolition; It was to submit its report in three months but was given 48 extensions; It finally submitted its report on June 30, 2009
1993
Jan 7: Centre acquires total 67.7 acre land around the site Mar 11: Mumbai blasts ‘in retaliation’ to Babri demolition Apr 3: Land acquisition at Ayodhya challenged by Ismail Faruqui in SC
2002
Feb: VHP fixes March 15 as the date for resuming temple construction; Kar sevaks start reaching Ayodhya from across the country; SP government in UP allows a symbolic ‘shila pujan’; Coach No S-6 of Sabarmati Express carrying them to Gujarat burnt near Godhra station; 58 of them burnt alive, leading to Gujarat riots, which claimed more than 1,000 lives April: A 3-judge bench of Allahabad HC resumes hearing in Ayodhya title suit
2010
Sept 30: HC delivers verdict on 4 petitions filed in the title suit; Orders to divide the dispute land into 3 parts — one part each to Ram Lalla Virajman, represented by Hindu Mahasabha, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Central Waqf Board Dec: Both Hindu Mahasabha and Sunni board challenge the verdict in SC
2011
May: SC stays HC order
2014
May: Narendra Modi govt comes to power with absolute majority
2017
March 21: SC says Ayodhya issue should be resolved out of court
2018
Feb 8: SC asks parties to get their papers ready, says no new party will be allowed to join the litigation Sept 27: SC turns down Muslim side plea to send Ismail Farouqui case of 1994 to a bigger bench; SC bench headed by then CJI Deepak Mishra delivers 2-1 verdict Oct 29: After the retirement of Justice Mishra, a bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice KM Joseph starts hearing the case; It adjourns the hearing till January 2019
2019
Nov 9: In a unanimous judgment, SC identifies the disputed site as the birthplace of Lord Ram and hands over 2.77 acre land to Ram Lalla Virajman; asks Centre to form a trust within 3 months for the construction of the temple
2020
August 5 : Bhoomi Pujan for Ram temple performed by PM Narendra Modi on 2.77 acre land