Ayodhya hearing: A temple existed before a Mosque, SC told

New Delhi, Aug 14: Arguments on whether a temple existed at the disputed site in Ayodhya continued in the Supreme Court for the sixth day on Wednesday.

Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for deity Ram Lalla Virajman, advanced arguments on whether there was an existing temple over which the mosque came up, before a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

Vaidyanathan referred to writings of William Pinch and Joseph Barrell to corroborate his claims on pre-existence of a temple before a mosque was erected at that site. The court sought to know when it was referred to as Babri Masjid to which Vaidyanathan said in the 19th century. Before that there was nothing to show that it was called as Babri Masjid, he said.

Senior counsel, Rajeev Dhavan said that the Babarnama speaks about Babar crossing the river to Ayodhya. Two pages of his stay in Ayodhya are missing. It is not right to say that he did not visit Ayodhya, he also added.

Senior counsel, Rajeev Dhavan said that the Babarnama speaks about Babar crossing the river to Ayodhya. Two pages of his stay in Ayodhya are missing. It is not right to say that he did not visit Ayodhya, he also added.

Vaidyanathan however said that the travelogues of foreigners such as Joseph Tiefenthaler, Montgomery Martin about the history of Ram and ruins of a temple shows the belief of the people. They were under no compulsion to lie, he also added.

Hearing on the matter will continue on Friday.

Three judges of the Allahabad High Court had held that there was a temple at the disputed site, Vaidyanathan told the bench also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer.

"Justice SU Khan of the high court had said that the mosque was built on the ruins of the temple," the senior advocate told the bench.

Senior advocate K Parasaran, also appearing for deity 'Ram Lalla Virajman' told the court that it must do "full and complete justice" in all matters before it.

The bench had on Friday last asked as to whether anyone from the 'Raghuvansha' (descendants of Lord Ram) dynasty still resides in Ayodhya.

Fourteen appeals have been filed in the Supreme Court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

On December 6, 1992, the Babri Masjid, which was constructed at the disputed site in the 16th century by Shia Muslim Mir Baqi, was demolished.