Yearning For Ram Mandir Fulfilment cover
Historical Non Fiction

Yearning For Ram Mandir Fulfilment

byJustice Kamleshwar Nath

A 96-year-old jurist reconstructs five centuries of legal battles over Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya, recovering cases history has largely forgotten.

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Language
English
Binding / Format
Paperback
ISBN
9798885751599
Pages
—
Published
—
Category
Historical Non Fiction

Overview

A Hindu temple stood at Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya from at least the 12th century — the Vishnu-Hari Temple, venerated across generations. In 1528, Mir Baqi, commanding the army of the Mughal emperor Babur, razed it and raised a mosque in its place using the temple's own stonework. What followed across the next five centuries was not silence but unceasing contest — battles, litigation, political agitation, and finally a Supreme Court judgment that cleared the path for the Ram Mandir's construction.

Justice Kamleshwar Nath, writing at 96, brings a jurist's precision to events he witnessed and argued through. His account recovers legal proceedings that have largely been forgotten — the earlier, less-celebrated cases without which the landmark 2019 judgment would have had no foundation — and places them within the longer arc of Hindu determination to reclaim the site. The book does not read the dispute primarily as a political controversy; it reads it as the record of a faith's legal persistence across an era of colonial rule, Partition, and independent India's own constitutional order.

Endorsed by RSS chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat and by Shri Champatraiji of the Sri Ram Janmbhumi Tirth Kshetra Trust, the account is the most authoritative legal history of the Ram Mandir dispute written from within the proceedings themselves.

ABOUT THE BOOK:- At Ram's birthplace, a Hindu temple had existed since the 12th Century AD, known as the Vishnu-Hari Temple. In early 16th Century, the Mughal King Babar launched his 5th invasion into India in 1526. He marched to Ayodhya in 1528 with his army led by Mir Baqi, who erected a mosque at the site of the temple using Temple material in the walls. The mosque came to be known as the Babri Masjid. The Hindus, nevertheless, continued their efforts to perform their worship of Ram's birthplace and seize the premises of the Babri Masjid. This exercise was not easy: it involved several battles from time to time between Hindus and Muslims, in which many lives were lost. This book brings to readers the legal battles (including the momentous ones among them that are so far less-known) to construct the Ram Mandir at Ram's birthplace and to continue the tradition and faith of Hindus as it prevailed from time immemorial. ~*~ "The saga of the struggle for the liberation of Shri Ram Janmbhumi is an important and glorious chapter in the history of the Renaissance of Bharat in modern times... Hence, its detailed description penned by Justice Kamleshwar Nath - a laborious and tedious task for a man of 96 years - is a very relevant and important book. This chapter of our history must always remain in our memory, should be frequently narrated, and should be retold time and again for generations together. Justice Kamleshwar Nath's efforts will then be well utilised and properly gratified." -Dr. Mohan Bhagwat Sarsanghchalak, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh This is the most authentic book I have ever come across about the legal battle for the Ram Mandir. -Shri Champatraiji General Secretary, Sri Ram Janmbhumi Tirth Kshetra Trust "When 'they' decided to demolish 'Ram Mandir', 'they' didn't only demolish a structure, 'they' assaulted the entire conscience of Bharat. The day the first brick fell, the yearning to fix it back was born as well. Who knew that the yearning was destined to be extended through the generations and it would be only as late as 500 years that the yearning would be fulfilled... The long journey in court has never been considered with emotional and spiritual quotient... This book comes from the mind, thoughts, and pen of a jurist, who has first-hand experience of this court journey for Ram Mandir. This book shall become a milestone in the field of documentation of a long legal battle and winning it." -Dr. Neerja A Gupta Educationist & Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University

Author

Justice Kamleshwar Nath

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Justice Kamleshwar Nath, born on September 6, 1926, in Hardoi (UP), is the son of Late Sri. Kamta Nath Gupta, a District Judge and Gandhian, and Late Smt. Mahesh Devi Gupta, who nurtured her children in spirituality. He completed his B.A from Allahabad University in 1946 and M.A., LLB from Lucknow University in 1948. In 1952, he married Sharda, M.A. LT, the daughter of renowned Rai Saheb Sri Fateh Chand. They have two children: Sri Diwakar Gupta, former MD, State Bank of India and later the Vice-President of the Asian Development Bank at Manila (Philippines); and Smt. Chetna Kumar, FA & CAO, Northern Railways. Justice Nath joined PCS (Judicial) in 1951 and was promoted to HJS in 1962. He was elevated as Judge of High Court of Allahabad in 1983, and retired in 1988. Post retirement, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal in 1989 and as Up-Lokayukta of State of Karnataka from 1992 to 1997. Throughout his career, he held various positions such as Munsif & Civil Judge (1951-1962), Deputy Registrar at Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court (1962-63), District Judge Andaman & Nicobar Islands (1966-1970), Additional Judge (Revisions) Sales Tax UP (1973-1977), Joint Secretary & Joint L.R. to State of UP (1979-1980), and District & Sessions Judge, Lucknow (1980-1983). Apart from his judicial career, Justice Nath has been involved in various activities. He is a Life Member of Indian Law Institute, President of the Federation of UP Pensioners Associations, Chairman of Transparency International India (Central & Eastern UP Chapter), and has held various positions in GOI Ministry of Law, Justice & Co. Affairs. He has also been performing social service through certain NGOs since his retirement in 1997. His hobbies include spiritualism, music, homeopathy, and writing.

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