Mysuru: Noted historian and archaeology expert, Prof Shalvapille Iyengar from Mysuru, who was part of the official team of archaeologists, that visited Ayodhya during the 2007 excavation at the disputed site, said the Supreme Court verdict was based mainly on archaeological evidence, which proved beyond doubt that a temple existed at the spot much before 12th century AD. Some say it dates back to 7,000 B.C.
Prof Shalvapille Iyengar, who heads the department of ancient history and archaeology at KSOU, said the Devanagari inscription found during excavation talked about a large temple at the spot that was built in the “Nagara” style of architecture by the Gadwala king, Govinda Chandra (1114-1155 ) , before the invasion of Babar in 1526 .
“Also Hindu style pillars etched with carvings, Hindu symbols and other such evidence found here proved beyond doubt that there was a temple of the Vaishava sect beneath the Babri mosque,” he added.
“The field of archaeology is so advanced that several tests carried out during excavation like the chlorine test, carbon dating, and thermo luminescence also helped establish the age of the site . All this was supported by oral history and literary sources, which helped the judgement and have been mentioned in it,” Dr Iyengar said.
