Ram Mandir
The Ram Mandir translates to the Ram Temple and is a highly critical Hindu temple located in Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is being constructed for one of the deities worshipped in Hinduism, Lord Ram, who is said to be born in the city of Ayodhya.
The site, therefore, has been described as controversial. Home of the Babri Masjid, it was razed to rubble by Hindu activists in 1992, an act that triggered massive riots and litigation. Central to the dispute was belief that the mosque had been built over a preexisting Ram Temple. After years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court of India passed a landmark judgment in November 2019, allowing the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site while providing an alternate piece of land for the mosque.
The foundation stone for the Ram Mandir was laid by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on August 5, 2020, and that was taken as a very important event of constructing it. The temple has been architecturally designed in a Nagara style with a characteristic feature of detailed carvings and a magnificently carved central soaring dome. The design convention of the temple draws from courses in traditional North Indian temple architecture that entail both reverence and the proper culture and religious legacy of Hinduism.
The Ram Mandir is projected to be completed in a few years. It represents not only a major religious and cultural milestone for Hindus but also the resolution of a long historical dispute. It will be one of the biggest centres of pilgrimage, with devotees coming from all across India and the world. It is believed that its completion will further reaffirm and celebrate Hindu heritage and religious identity.
