The Allahabad High Court delivered a complex verdict in the Babri Masjid case today, dividing the sacred site into three parts – one for Muslims and two for Hindus.
They had to deal in their case with a most unusual cast of characters, including the Hindu god Lord Ram himself, who was named as a party to the case by one of the (human) Hindu litigants.
Here is a glossary of some terms from the case that may not be familiar to all:
Nirmohi Akhara
One third of the site will go to the Nirmohi Akhara, a group of Hindu ascetics who are devotees of none other than Lord Ram. Their name means, roughly, “Group Without Attachment.” They have given up the material world for the company of their god. They are “sadhus” – or Hindu holy men often characterized by the hermetic tendencies. They claimed in court that there is no mosque called Babri Masjid at the site in Ayodhya, nor did the Mughal commander Babur make any conquest or any occupation of territory in India. They also claimed the site is of ancient antiquity and has existed before the living memory of man. Lord Ram and his court representatives receive another third of the site.
Ram Janmabhoomi
Literally, this phrase means “the land Ram was born on.” Hindu groups refer to the property in Ayodhya where the medieval Babri mosque stood, and that was at the heart of the 60 year dispute with this phrase. Ram is one of the most revered incarnations of one of the deities of a Hindu trinity—the god of preservation, Vishnu.
Sunni Waqfs Board
This is an elected legal body that oversees Sunni Islamic properties endowed for religious or charitable purposes. The plaintiff in the case that was decided Thursday was the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, which supervises these properties in the state where the town of Ayodhya is located. The board gets the third portion of the site.
Ram Lalla
This refers to Hindu idols placed in the central dome of the mosque, allegedly in 1949. The phrase specifically refers to Ram as a baby or a young child. Parts of the Hindu suits revolved around seeking access to these idols and having them remain there, while the Muslim plaintiffs wanted them removed.
10:52 pm September 30, 2010
K.Venugopal wrote:
The verdict of the Allahabad High Court would go a long way in consolidating the Hindu claim over the disputed site because it has recognized that Ram was born at the site. The court has also, pertinently, said that if any adjustments were required in the 3-way division of the site, the Central government, which has taken into receivership many acres of land, can provide the land. This gives possibility to the mosque moving away from the vicinity of the temple and the Hindus getting sufficient area for building a “grand temple”, which area is available with the government. It is time for the Muslims to stop being insensitive to the feelings Hindus have for Ram, which is not less than the feelings Muslims have for Mohammad.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/09/30/who-are-the-nirmohi-akhara/
They had to deal in their case with a most unusual cast of characters, including the Hindu god Lord Ram himself, who was named as a party to the case by one of the (human) Hindu litigants.
Here is a glossary of some terms from the case that may not be familiar to all:
Nirmohi Akhara
One third of the site will go to the Nirmohi Akhara, a group of Hindu ascetics who are devotees of none other than Lord Ram. Their name means, roughly, “Group Without Attachment.” They have given up the material world for the company of their god. They are “sadhus” – or Hindu holy men often characterized by the hermetic tendencies. They claimed in court that there is no mosque called Babri Masjid at the site in Ayodhya, nor did the Mughal commander Babur make any conquest or any occupation of territory in India. They also claimed the site is of ancient antiquity and has existed before the living memory of man. Lord Ram and his court representatives receive another third of the site.
Ram Janmabhoomi
Literally, this phrase means “the land Ram was born on.” Hindu groups refer to the property in Ayodhya where the medieval Babri mosque stood, and that was at the heart of the 60 year dispute with this phrase. Ram is one of the most revered incarnations of one of the deities of a Hindu trinity—the god of preservation, Vishnu.
Sunni Waqfs Board
This is an elected legal body that oversees Sunni Islamic properties endowed for religious or charitable purposes. The plaintiff in the case that was decided Thursday was the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, which supervises these properties in the state where the town of Ayodhya is located. The board gets the third portion of the site.
Ram Lalla
This refers to Hindu idols placed in the central dome of the mosque, allegedly in 1949. The phrase specifically refers to Ram as a baby or a young child. Parts of the Hindu suits revolved around seeking access to these idols and having them remain there, while the Muslim plaintiffs wanted them removed.
10:52 pm September 30, 2010
K.Venugopal wrote:
The verdict of the Allahabad High Court would go a long way in consolidating the Hindu claim over the disputed site because it has recognized that Ram was born at the site. The court has also, pertinently, said that if any adjustments were required in the 3-way division of the site, the Central government, which has taken into receivership many acres of land, can provide the land. This gives possibility to the mosque moving away from the vicinity of the temple and the Hindus getting sufficient area for building a “grand temple”, which area is available with the government. It is time for the Muslims to stop being insensitive to the feelings Hindus have for Ram, which is not less than the feelings Muslims have for Mohammad.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/09/30/who-are-the-nirmohi-akhara/
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