A claim circulating on social media asserts that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is constructed 3 km away from the previous Babri mosque site. The post includes a Google Maps screenshot depicting two locations—one indicating the temple under construction in Ayodhya and the other stating ‘Babar Masjid (permanently closed)’. In this article, we will verify the accuracy of the claim presented in the post.
Claim: Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is constructed 3 km away from the disputed Babri mosque site.
Fact: Presently, the ongoing construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is taking place on the former site of the Babri mosque, which was previously demolished. This fact is supported by satellite images, and media reports also corroborate this information. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Recently, some opposition leaders have made allegations regarding the Ram Temple, asserting that it is built three kilometers away from the former site of the Babri mosque. To support their claims, they have circulated screenshots from Google Maps. It is in this context that the viral assertion has garnered attention on various social media platforms.
Contrary to the viral claim, historical satellite images of the contested location indicate that the current construction is indeed taking place at the erstwhile disputed site. The viral image presented depicts the Babri mosque in its original condition, while the second image, sourced from a 2011 satellite photograph of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir site before construction, was obtained through Google Earth Pro. A careful comparison of these two images reveals the presence of architectural structures surrounding the Babri mosque in the first photo, which is also discernible in the 2011 satellite photos. This observation suggests that both images capture the same location, specifically the site where the Babri Masjid was previously demolished.
According to the 2011 satellite images, the coordinates for the location of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir are (26°47’43″N 82°11’39″E).
The image below depicts the ongoing construction site of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, as acquired through Google Earth. According to Google Earth, the coordinates for this Ram Mandir are 26°47’47″N 82°11’35″E. Notably, these coordinates closely match those of the location featured in the previously mentioned 2011 satellite image. Consequently, this suggests that the construction of the Ram Mandir is taking place on the site where the Babri mosque once stood.
Meanwhile, a temple near the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is tagged as the demolished Babri mosque on Google Maps, as shown in the viral screenshot, which led to the argument that the Ram Temple was not built in place of the demolished Babri mosque. However, the location tagged as Babri mosque is a Hindu religious place. Upon closer examination, the location reveals the Birla Temple, which is devoted to the Hindu deities Ram and Sita.
To sum it up, the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is taking place at the site where the Babri mosque once stood.
