The dispute involves 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya
The idea that Ayodhya was the birth place of the Lord Ram is a matter of faith and there is no evidence of it but faith at this point, the lawyer representing Ram Lalla - the infant Lord Ram - told the Supreme Court today. Asked if there is any proof of Lord Ram's birth at the disputed site, the lawyer, K Prasaran said, "How can we prove after so many centuries that Lord Ram took birth at the place? It is the faith".
"Faith itself is evidence," Mr Prasaran told the five-judge bench of the top court, which heard the title suit in the Ayodhya case for the second consecutive day. "The place, Ramjanambhumi, or the Asthan, has become a personification of the deity. It has by itself become an object of worship for the Hindus," he added.
The court then asked Prasaran if such a question - about the exact birth place of any religious figure -- has ever arisen in any court.
"Were issues like birth of Jesus Christ at Bethlehem have been questioned and dealt with by any court in the world?" the bench asked Mr Prasaran. The senior advocate said that he will check on that and revert.
The top court also asked the Nirmohi Akhada -- one of the claimants of the disputed land - to show evidence that the land belonged to it.
"Prepare a chart of evidence end show the documentary evidence that the land belonged to you," the bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said.
The top court had decided to conduct day-to-day hearings in the decades-old case after efforts to resolve the matter through mediation by a three-member panel failed.
The panel, appointed by the top court earlier this year, was asked to consult with various groups and discuss a solution to the dispute. But last week, it told the court that though it "did its best to arrive at a consensus", some parties did not agree to mediation.
The dispute involves 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya, where a 16th Century mosque -- said to have been built by Mughal emperor Babur - once stood. In December 1992, it was razed by Hindu activists who believe that the mosque was built on the ruins of a temple that marked the birthplace of Lord Ram. In the days that followed, 2,000 people died in riots across the country.