Evidence Of Temple Found In Excavation In Ayodhya

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which had excavated the disputed site in Ayodhya, reportedly concluded in its report submitted to the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court today that there was evidence of a 10th century Hindu temple there, the lawyers representing one of the Hindu parties said.

The Sunni Central Waqf Board (SCWB), however, termed the ASI report "vague and self-contradictory and something prepared under political pressure."

The Rashtriya Swaymsewak Sangh hailed the ASI report and demanded that a judicial settlement to the temple issue be reached soon.

The ASI report says evidence of the existence of an ancient temple of north Indian art had been found at the disputed site. According to lawyers representing the Hindu side, Ranjana Agnihotri and PL Mishra, "the remnants of such a temple were unearthed during the digging of the disputed site," they said.

 

'The pictures of the structure below the demolished mosque resemble the inner parts of a temple', the ASI report concluded, the lawyers claimed.

SCWB counsel, Zafaryab Jilani said that he had sought a month's time to go through the report after which he would file his objections.

Jilani said the ASI had not dug so deep but claimed the 'temple' structure was found at a depth of 50 meters. How could they claim this when the digging was not done so deep, Jilani asked.

The ASI report said there was sufficient proof of existence of a massive and monumental structure having a minimum dimension of 50x30 metres in north-south and east-west directions respectively just below the disputed structure.

In a significant observation the report said towards east of this central point, a circular depression with projection on the west, cut into the large sized brick pavement, signifying the place where some important object was placed.

"The ASI excavations have confirmed the earlier historical and literary evidence and the ground penetrating radar survey. With this final evidence, the whole controversy should end and the judiciary should quickly dispose of the case and come out with its verdict instead of allowing it to be further dragged," RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said.

Asked about the Sunni Central Waqf Board's reaction that the report submitted to the court was "prepared under political pressure", Madhav dubbed it as a "tactic to prolong the case as they do not want a solution."