Excavations show no trace of Hindu temple

AYODHYA, India — After completing a five-month excavation, government archaeologists say they have found no evidence of an ancient Hindu temple under the ruins of a 16th century mosque in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya. The Ayodhya site has been an inflammatory issue for Hindus and Muslims since it was razed by a Hindu mob in 1992, triggering riots that killed more than 3,000 people. Hindu nationalists claim the Babri mosque stood above a Hindu temple marking the birthplace of the god Rama, an avatar of Krishna, the Hindu god that by tradition sustains the universe.

Muslims and Hindus are now vying for rights to build on the site of the Babri mosque, which was built by the Mogul Emperor Babur in the 16th century. Recently, Hindu nationalist groups, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, have expressed determination to build a temple on the site. The excavation to find out whether the mosque was built over a destroyed temple was commissioned by the Allahabad High Court in March. The Federal Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted its report to the court Aug. 22.