https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Day After, How Makeshift Ram Temple Was Built In Ayodhya

Vijay Shankar Pandey, a 1989-batch officer was appointed District Magistrate of Ayodhya (Faizabad) on December 7, 1992, a day after Babri Mosque was demolished. In this interview he describes how he got the towns evacuated, damaged structures repaired, and confidence restored. Pandey, who studied in Faizabad in his childhood, is happy now that a grand temple is set to be inaugurated soon and the temple town is spruced up to be on international tourist map.
Indian Masterminds Stories

December 6 was a historic day. Babri Masjid had been razed to the ground by thousands of unidentified kar sevaks, who would not listen to BJP leaders like Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia and VHP leaders like Ashok Singhal and Acharya Giriraj Kishore. Then Kalyan Singh-led state government was dismissed in the evening and the state was put under President Rule. Curfew was imposed in Ayodhya. Both DM and SP were put under suspension.

Mr Vijay Shankar Pandey, an erudite IAS officer, was appointed new DM with the onerous task of bringing situation under control. The road between Ayodhya and Lucknow – especially the eight-kms stretch between Faizabad and Ayodhya – was teeming with lakhs of kar sevaks. They won’t allow any movement of any government official, much less the security forces, towards Ayodhya till the makeshift temple came up. Mr Pandey had to be flown to Ayodhya in a helicopter to take charge. On the way he could understand that he had a tough task at hand.

In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, Mr Pandey describes the circumstances in Ayodhya when he took over as the DM. Religious structures, commercial establishments and residential premises of Minority community had been damaged some of them put on fire. Please watch the video to know Mr Pandey, a local boy – he had studied in Faizabad in his childhood – brought things under control.

Watch The Interview Here-


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
DMRC
DMRC Director Manuj Singhal Honoured with 'Distinguished Corporate Leader Award-2025' by DTU-DCE
LIC Housing Finance
LIC Housing Finance Appoints T.C. Suseel Kumar as Additional Independent Director - Know About Him
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
Telangana IAS Officer's Remarks on Students Cleaning Toilets Sparks Political Uproar - Know the Case
Bhushan Gulabrao Borase IPS
Karnataka: IPS Bhushan Gulabrao Borase Made Commissioner, Belagavi City - Know Why He Was Transferred
Vande Bharat
Indian Railways Brings Foreign Caterers Onboard Vande Bharat Trains to Enhance Meal Quality - Check All Details
DGP Rajeev Krishna IPS
UP: New DGP Rajeev Krishna Takes Charge; 3 Senior IPS Officers Transferred, Ashutosh Pandey, Made DG, Telecom
NTPC Green
NTPC Green & Honeywell Sign MoU to Turn CO₂ and Green Hydrogen into Jet Fuel - Details Inside
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) CSR
Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) Donates Fully Equipped Ambulance to Azara Block PHC to Strengthen Emergency Healthcare in Guwahati
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Tomorrow: ICLS Officer Altap Shaikh Shares Last-Minute Motivation for Aspirants
His five-post thread offers encouragement, practical advice, and emotional support - not just for those...
Anupam Sharma IFS
#BoycottTurkey: IFS Officer Anupam Sharma Sparks Nationalist Call to Action
IFS Sharma urged citizens to avoid Turkish agricultural imports
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
DMRC
DMRC Director Manuj Singhal Honoured with 'Distinguished Corporate Leader Award-2025' by DTU-DCE
LIC Housing Finance
LIC Housing Finance Appoints T.C. Suseel Kumar as Additional Independent Director - Know About Him
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT