There are two divergent views on the historicity of both the Ramayana and the Mahabharat. There are some who say everything about the epics is absolutely true to the letter. Even that Lord Ram flew back to Ayodhya on Pushpak Viman from Lanka. The other view is that everything about them is absolutely baseless and is a figment of imagination. Between these two views possibly lies the truth.

It is evident that the epics cannot be regarded as authentic history. Poets have the licence to exaggerate facts. But what is significant in the narratives is that in both epics the places described-like Mathura, Hastinapura, Ayodhya and Chitrakuta-continue to have the same names nearly 3,000 years on. In both cases, it is impossible to get inscriptions of that time because the earliest known inscribed text is found on Ashoka's pillars erected in the 3rd century B.C. Per force much of the information about the period of the epics and their veracity have come from literary sources.

BURNED MYSTERY: Pillar bases unearthed south of the Babri Masjid compound wall

Only in the past 50 years has there been an attempt to use the tools of archaeology to unearth evidence that could throw light on the antiquity of some of the places mentioned. In 1951-53, when I was in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), I had initiated a project to establish that there was a historical basis for the Mahabharat. I followed that up much later with the Ramayana project.

There is a wrong impression among many that I started excavations at Ayodhya in search of a temple beneath the Babri Masjid. Far from it. The work at Ayodhya was taken up in the late 1970s and early 1980s-much before the eruption of the Mandir-Masjid debate-as part of a much bigger project, "Archaeology of the Ramayana sites". The purpose was to find out if there was any archaeological evidence that indicated the historicity of the Ramayana. Excavations were undertaken at five sites associated with the story: Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram; Shringaverapura, where Ram, Sita and Lakshman crossed the Ganga during their exile; Bharadvaja Ashram, where the trio met sage Bharadvaja; Chitrakuta, where they stayed before moving on southwards; and Nandigrama, from where Bharata ruled during Ram's absence (see map).

There is enough evidence to indicate that there did exist a base for the story, though subsequent interpolations have messed it up. Unfortunately, only one volume on the Shringaverapura findings could be published in 1993. After that the ASI withdrew all facilities and repeated requests to successive directors-general fell on deaf ears, making it impossible to bring out subsequent volumes. However, the broad findings were published in several reputed journals.

HINDU RELICS: (above) Lower part of one of the 14 pillars that had been affixed to the pier of the Babri Masjid; part of a 12th century inscription recovered from the Masjid

In Ayodhya, 14 different sites were excavated to obtain a comprehensive picture, and the Ram Janmabhoomi was one of them. In a trench dug immediately to the south of the Babri Masjid, remains dating from 7the century B.C. to 15th century A.D. were found. Belonging to the uppermost levels was a series of pillar bases some of which may be seen running into the section close to the outer wall of the Masjid complex (picture 1). Affixed to the piers of the Masjid were 14 pillars bearing figures of Hindu deities, originally part of a temple (picture 2).

Since February 1991, even before the demolition, I had been advocating that to get a clearer picture of the preceding structure, it would be necessary to carry out further excavations in the area, including underneath the mosque. Protagonists of the Babri Masjid reacted sharply and made some unnecessary accusations against me. Tensions continued, and the mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992. It was indeed a very sad event.

The demolition, however, brought to light a great deal of archaeological material from within the thickness of the walls of the mosque. It included many sculptures, architectural parts of a temple and three inscriptions, one of which revealed that the temple was built in the 12th century A.D. (picture 3).

Disclaiming the findings, the Babri Masjid protagonists claimed that the entire material had been surreptitiously brought to the site. This is prima facie ridiculous. There was so much material that it would have taken many trucks to cart it to the site and would have been recorded by the print and electronic media that covered the event so extensively.

The radar survey done on the Allahabad High Court's orders has established that there are some structures below the site of the Masjid. The digging that has now commenced will establish the nature of the structures and their antiquity. But it will be a slow process.

Meanwhile, what is really needed is to try and bridge the gulf that is widening every day between various communities. And here all the political parties, of one shade or the other, must search their hearts and find an amicable way out.

Professor Lal is former director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India