Ayodhya-Babri case hearing today: All you need to know about the dispute

On December 6, 1992, Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished and the country's political and communal fabric significantly altered. A day short of the 25th anniversary of the event, the Supreme Court will on Tuesday commence the final hearings in the long-standing Ayodhya dispute.

According to reports, the top court will be hearing a total of 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgment of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits. The stakeholders in the case had moved the apex court after the Allahabad HC directed the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara, and the Lord Ram Lalla to settle for a three-way division of the disputed site.

The demolition of Babri Masjid and the deadly riots that followed remain a grim reminder in India’s history of volatile politics and the sway it has over the minds of people who are bent on the path of destruction in the name of religious resurrection.

Here's Business Standard's complete reportage on the dispute, the parties to it, and how it affected the nation:

Has India changed since the Babri demolition?

While a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since December 1992, when scores of Hindutva foot soldiers, purportedly egged on by some who would later be the tallest Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, demolished the medieval-era Babri Masjid, how different is today's India?

(Click here to read our full report on how the country has changed, or not, since the Babri demolition) 

Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid issue: Read the entire timeline of the dispute

The Supreme Court's suggestion  for an amicable settlement to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya has yet again rekindled the debate on the subject that has for decades been a religious and political flashpoint.

The Babri mosque dates back nearly 500 years when it was built in Ayodhya by Mir Baqi, a commander of the first Mughal emperor Babur, in 1528. Hence the mosque's name, Babri Masjid.

Here is the timeline to the dispute:

1853: The first recorded incident of violence over the holy site takes place during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. Nirmohis, a Hindu sect, claim that a Hindu temple had been destroyed during Babur's times to build the mosque.

1859: The British colonial administration erects a fence at the site to separate the places of worship. While the Muslims are allowed to use the inner court, the Hindus are allowed the outer court.

1885: In January 1885, Mahant Raghubir Das files the first case, seeking permission to build a canopy on the Ramchabutra (a raised platform) outside the mosque. The plea is rejected by the Faizabad district court.

1949: Lord Ram's idols appear inside the mosque, allegedly placed by Hindu groups. Both sides file suits; the government declares the area as disputed and locks the gates to the premise.

1950: Gopal Singh Visharad and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das file suits at the Faizabad court seeking permission to offer prayers to the idols in the janamsthan. While the inner courtyard remains locked, prayers are allowed.

1959: The Nirmohi Akhara files a third suit seeking possession of the site and claiming to be the custodians of the Ram Janmabhoomi.

1961: The Sunni Central Board of Waqf files a case against the placing of idols inside the mosque and claim that the mosque and surrounding land was a graveyard.
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