Ramjanmabhumi at Ayodhya is a most holy place

July 13, 2003

Over the Ayodhya issue, it looks like there are some strong Hindus who are not giving up on this. More than just a clash of egos, it needs to be demonstrated that if Muslims wish to live cooperatively with Hindus in India, then they should be ready to acknowledge that the Ramjanmabhumi at Ayodhya is a most holy place and they should not fret over sacrificing one mosque for the sake of the holy place and a temple for Hindus.

But we can see that they do not want to give one inch, just like the Kauravas did not want to give one inch to the Pandavas. What does this mean? That there must be stronger measures to show that Hindus will no longer be pushed around like a bunch of wimps at the perogative of minorities or foreigners.

This is still an ongoing issue, so we will watch closely to see how things begin to develop further. Otherwise, stronger voices need to speak out on this.

I am not one for militant action or in pursuing the means that may further divide society, but for preserving such holy places is something for which we need to stand firm.

Hari Om and Hari bol,

Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa)

gHari · July 13, 2003

Truth About Excavations At Sri Rama Janma Bhumi

BY CHETAN MERANI

INDIA, Jul 12 (VNN) — A few days ago a news item allegedly supplied by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was planted in the newspapers that no evidence of a pre-existing structure under the disputed Rama Janma Bhumi-Babri Masjid was found. The said news item was definitely deceptive, roundless, misrepresented and calculated to dupe the country.

The misrepresented item was based on an unfinished progress report of the ASI. Three-fourths of the report have been concealed. The item was cooked up on the basis of the excavation report of a spot that was about 50 feet away from the western wall of the Rama Janma Bhumi structure. As such the inferences of the news item based on the report of this pit is reckless. In spite of this, even these pits gave away two thousand year old moulded bricks and ornate stone pieces of different shapes and sizes. The news item dishonored these facts.

The excavations so far give ample traces that there was a mammoth pre-existing structure beneath the three-domed Babri structure. Ancient perimeters from East to West and North to South have been found beneath the Babri fabrication. The bricks used in these perimeters predate the time of Babur. Beautiful stone pieces bearing carved Hindu ornamentations like lotus, Kaustubh jewel, alligator facade, etc., have been used in these walls. These decorated architectural pieces have been anchored with precision at varied places in the walls. A tiny portion of a stone slab is sticking out at a place below 20 feet in one of the pits.

The rest of the slab lies covered in the wall. The projecting portion bears a five-letter Dev Nagari inscription that turns out to be a Hindu name. The items found below 20 feet should be at least 1,500 years old. According to archaeologists about a foot of loam layer gathers on topsoil every hundred years. Primary clay was not found even upto a depth of 30 feet. It provides the clue to the existence of some structure or the other at that place during the last 2,500 years. More than 30 pillar bases have been found at equal spans. The pillar- bases are in two rows and the rows are parallel. The pillar-base rows are in North-South direction. A wall is superimposed upon another wall.

At least three layers of the floor are visible. An octagonal holy fireplace (Yagna Kund) has been found. These facts prove the enormity of the pre-existing structure. Surkhii has been used as a Construction material in our country since over 2000 years and in the constructions at the Janma Bhumi Surkhii has been extensively used. Moulded bricks of round and other shapes and sizes were neither in vogue during the middle ages nor are in use today. It was in vogue only 2,000 years ago. Many ornate pieces of touchstone (Kasauti stone) pillars have been found in the excavation. Terracotta idols of divine fugurines, serpent, elephant, horse-rider, saints, etc., have been found. Even to this day terracotta idols are used in worship during Diwali celebrations and then put by temple sanctums for invoking divine blessings. The Gupta and the Kushan period bricks have been found. Brick walls of the Gahadwal period (12th Century CE) have been found in excavations.

Nothing has been found to prove the existence of residential habitation there. The excavation gives out the picture of a vast compound housing a sole distinguished and greatly celebrated structure used for divine purposes and not that of a colony or Mohalla consisting of small houses.

That was an uncommon and highly celebrated place and not a place of habitation for the common people. Hindu pilgrims have always been visiting that place for thousands of years. Even today there are temples around that place and the items found in the excavations point to the existence of a holy structure of North Indian architectural style at that place.

The excavation has to find answer to the question as to whether Babur superimposed the domed structure on a preexisting structure after demolishing it or built it on virgin ground. The answer to this question has been found from the excavations.

<a href=http://vnn.org/world/WD0307/WD12-8215.html>SOURCE</A>

July 13, 2003

It is most unfortunate that Ayodhya has become a flash-point again. The reason I say this, is because 99% of the Muslims have Hindu forefathers. The fact remains that most Muslims had given up their ancient religion when their life was risked, though many Hindus chose to sacrifice their lives like what the great Sikh saints (including their young children), Sambhaji (the great warrior son of Shivaji) demonstrated. They chose to sacrifice their lives and accepted most brutal death (one Sikh saint was poured boiling oil, Sambhaji was completely skinned and was left like that to die) instead of converting under threat.

Today's Muslims need to be reminded about this historical fact and unfortunately the Hindu leaders who are at the forefront of Ayodhya agitation are also not communicating this fact effectively. Thus ordinary Muslims easily get swayed by what their religious leaders communicate (for whom the superiority complex about their religious faith is paramount and they hardly can appreciate that 'all paths only lead to God'). My experience is that if you talk to individual Muslims, most are aware that 7 to 10 generations ago, their forefathers were Hindus.

Hindus have also committed historical blunders like not taking back their own people who were forcibly converted. Kashmir has become a boiling point because Hindu Pandits in the days of the rule of 'Maharaja Ranjitsingh' who was ruling both Punjab & Kashmir threatened to die if Maharaja was to take back now 'impure' but most willing Muslims who had earlier converted to Islam out of threat from foreign rulers. The result !! Muslims remained Muslims and the next generations of the same Pandits have to live in exile.

There were foresighted men like Chhatrapati Shivaji (1630-80), the great Hindu warrior king, who took back to Hindu fold his general, Netaji Palkar who was forcibly converted to Islam by Aurangzeb & sent to Afganistan. Netaji became Mohammad Kuli Khan. Netaji managed to escape from Afganistan in those days (unfortunately not with his family) and came back to Maharashtra. Shivaji reconverted him back to Hinduism. Another general, Bajaji Naik-Nimbalkar & his family was similarly re-converted by him. Not only that, Shivaji offered his own daughter in marriage to Bajaji's son and got him socially re-settled. But this vision has been absent through out India and it's only in the last Century, concerted effort is being made to welcome our own brethren back to Hindu fold.

July 13, 2003

Sri Vakrathunda mahaakaaya kotisuryasamaprabhas

nirvighnam kurume deva subhakaryeshu sarvadaa

I agree some thing has to be done politicians have their vested interest.

Violence is no answer

I would like to ask our Muslim brothers and sisters if Mecca was under foreign rule and they were to build their religious place on top or any where near how much will they put up with it?

What would they do first after gaining there freedom?

Justice must be done as I say violence is no answer Muslim community must realise the mistakes off the past and give up the land it will be in national interest off all the people off India

Jai Shree Krishna

prasad b