There has been a conflict going on for many years between Hindus and Muslims in Ayodhya, India. The cause of the dispute is a holy patch of land that both religious groups is claiming rightful ownership to. Ayodhya is located in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh in India. The land in question is believed to be the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama, and was the site of Babri Masjid mosque built in the 1600s by Muslim invaders, until it was destroyed by hard line Hindus in 1992. The problem is also referred to as the ‘Ayodhya debate’.

Hindus claim that there is historical evidence that a Hindu temple existed in the site prior to the building of the mosque, and because of this, Hindus are the rightful owners of the land. They also claimed in the middle of the 20th century that the Babri Masjid mosque has not been used by Muslims for worship since 1936, and in 1949, legally placed an image of Rama in the area to mark the territory. In 1992, the mosque was permanently destroyed by Hindu Kar Sevaks (religious volunteers), which resulted in a riot in Ayodhya and around India, killing more than 2,000 people.

In September 30, 2010, the ruling Uttar Pradesh high court Allahabad passed down a verdict which stated that the land shall be divided by three, 1/3 going to Muslims, 1/3 to a Hindu denomination dedicated to the infant Rama, and the remaining 1/3 to the Hindu denomination Nirmohi Akhara.