Ayodhya confrontation photos (last picture is of a devotee chanting on beads)

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The last photo is of a devotee with sikha chanting on a japa mala:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/photo_gallery/3200208.stm

 

 

Ayodhya confrontation

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For days Hindu nationalists in India have been preparing for a massive rally at the disputed holy site of Ayodhya

 

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"We will not rest" until a Hindu temple is built there on the site of a razed mosque, they say

 

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In 1992 Hindu crowds destroyed the mosque, sparking nationwide riots that left some 2,000 dead

 

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This year Hindu activists set off for Ayodhya from all over India in defiant mood

 

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But thousands were arrested, including such leading figures as Ashok Singhal of the World Hindu Council

 

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Police resorted to rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators - "Had these people not thrown stones and bricks, we would not have taken any action," the police said

 

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The furore of confrontation contrasted sharply with the spirit of prayer