"I Sat Before The Deity...": Chief Justice DY Chandrachud On Ayodhya Dispute

On November 9, 2019, a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court, led by then Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, settled a long-standing issue about the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The decision cleared the way for building the temple.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, who was part of the team that gave the decision, spoke about the case on Sunday while visiting his hometown, Kanhersar village, in Pune. He shared that he had prayed for a solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, a problem that had lasted over a century.

Speaking to the villagers, Chief Justice Chandrachud said, "We often have difficult cases, and sometimes we can’t find an answer. During the Ayodhya case, which I worked on for three months, I prayed to God, asking Him to help us find a solution." He added that he believes God will always help if one has faith.

In the 2019 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ram temple could be built in Ayodhya and that a mosque would also be built on another five-acre plot in the same city. Chief Justice Chandrachud visited the Ram temple in July 2024 to offer prayers.

He ended his message by saying, "If you believe and have faith, God will always show you the way."