Ayodhya case not to be referred to larger bench: A timeline of events

New Delhi, Sep 27: The Supreme Court Thursday declined to refer to a five-judge Constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations made in its 1994 judgement that mosque was not integral to Islam that arose during the hearing of Ayodhya land dispute.

A three-judge bench of the high court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had ordered that the 2.77 acres of land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

Justice Ashok Bhushan, who was reading judgement for himself and the CJI, said it has to find out the context in which the five-judge had delivered the 1994 judgement. He said earlier finding that mosque is integral to Islam was made in the context of land acquisition and all religions have to be respected equally by the State.

What is the Babri Masjid-Ram janmabhoomi dispute about?

The dispute surrounds a piece of land considered the revered birthplace of Lord Ram or "Ram janmabhoomi". Incidentally, the location also housed the medieval era mosque-the Babri Masjid. It is said that Mir Baqi, one of the generals of Mughal king Babur, destroyed a Ram temple and built Babri Masjid (translated as Babur's Mosque).

Was the Babri Masjid really constructed on the remains of an even more ancient Hindu temple? This is the main question fuelling the controversy.

Though Hindus and Muslims had both prayed at the mandir-mosque structure, with Muslims praying inside the structure and Hindus praying outside, an 1885 petition filed by the head of the Nirmohi Akhara sect, which appealed the permission to worship Ram Lalla idols inside the mosque structure, started a mire of issues going on till date.

History revisited

1528: Mir Baaqi, general of Mughal emperor Babur, builds the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. It is allegedly built on Ram Janambhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Ram

1853: First recorded violence when Hindus attacked the place over the issue during British rule

December 23, 1949: Lord Ram's idols are planted inside the central dome. Both sides file court cases; the site is locked

December 17, 1959: The Nirmohi Akhara files a suit seeking possession of the site and claims to be the custodians of the disputed land

December 18, 1961: The Sunni Central Board of Waqf files a suit claiming ownership of the site

1984: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) launches a campaign for the construction of the Ram temple at the Janmabhoomi site

February 1, 1986: Faizabad district court orders the gates of the mosque be opened and Hindus be allowed to worship there. Muslims protest the move and forms Babri Mosque Action Committee

November 9, 1989: VHP lays the foundation of a Ram temple on land next to the Babri Masjid following permission from the then Rajiv Gandhi government

September 25, 1990: Then BJP President L K Advani launches his Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya. He is arrested in Bihar's Samastipur in November

December 6, 1992: The disputed Babri Mosque is razed to the ground by kar sevaks

April 2002: Three-judge Bench of high court begins hearing to determine the ownership of land.

The HC orders the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to excavate the site to determine if it was a temple earlier.

2003: ASI finds evidence of the presence of a temple under the mosque. Muslim organisations dispute the findings

September 30, 2010: The HC rules the disputed land be divided into three parts - one-third to Ram Lalla Virajman, represented by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha; one-third to the Sunni Waqf Board; and the remaining to the Nirmohi Akhara. In December, the parties move the SC

May 2011: The SC stays the HC order

March 2017: The Supreme Court says charges against Advani and other leaders cannot be dropped in the demolition case and that the case may be revived

March 21, 2017: The SC says the matter is sensitive and suggests it be settled out of court. It asks stakeholders to hold talks and find an amicable solution

May 30, 2017: Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar charged with criminal conspiracy in the demolition case

August 11, 2017: The SC schedules hearing of 13 appeals in the title dispute on December 5, 2017, coinciding with the eve of the 25th anniversary of the desecration of the Babri mosque

Dec 5, 2017: The SC says it will hear the civil appeals filed by various parties challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict on February 8.

February 8, 2018: Senior Advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Sunni Waqf Board, seeks a day-to-day hearing in the case, but the Bench turns it down. Lists the case for hearing on March 14, 2018.

March 14, 2018: Senior Counsel Rajeev Dhavan submits that the matter deserves to be referred to a larger Bench in view of the decision rendered by the Constitution Bench of this Court in Dr. M. Ismail Faruqui & Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors.

April 6, 2018: Heated exchange between Rajeev Dhavan and Additional Solcitior Generals Maninder Singh and Tushar Mehta during the hearing.

July 20, 2018: Court reserves verdict on question of reference to larger Bench.

Sep 27, 2018: The Supreme Court has refused to refer to a larger Bench a question of law that said Mosque is not integral to Islam.