One of India’s finest photo-journalists, Prashant Panjiar first went to Ayodhya in April 1987, to photograph the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Virat Hindu Sammelan, one of the early mobilisations of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Five years later he was back on assignment for India Today, following L.K. Advani. His photographs of the Babri Masjid’s domes coming down are the only images of the demolition itself.

In December 2002, on the tenth anniversary of the demolition, he went back to Ayodhya, to see how the town was changing. And then he kept going back regularly, recording the change.

The earliest photographs in this book date from 1987. Most were made between 2002 and 2004, and from 2018 to 2026. Together they cover nearly four decades of Ayodhya: its ghats and akharas, Sufi shrines and Hanuman temples, barricades and barbed wire, and the laser shows and hoardings of the new temple town. With an essay by Valay Singh on how Ram was turned into a political symbol, this unprecedented book is a rare long view of a fabled town that became the epicentre of a campaign to reshape India.

About The Author

Prashant Panjiar is an acclaimed Indian photojournalist, documentary photographer and visual storyteller, widely recognised for his significant contribution to contemporary Indian photography. Over the course of his career, he has documented India's social, cultural and political landscape, capturing moments that reflect the country's diversity, complexities and changing realities. His photographs combine journalistic precision with a distinctive artistic sensibility, offering powerful insights into the lives of ordinary people and the events shaping modern India. Panjiar has worked with leading publications and played an important role in developing India's independent photography and photojournalism culture. His work often explores themes of identity, community, tradition, social change and human experience, presenting compelling visual narratives that encourage viewers to look beyond headlines and discover the stories behind them.

He is the co-founder and managing trustee of the Nazar Foundation, which promotes photographic arts, and co-founded the Delhi Photo Festival, helping create platforms for photographers to exhibit their work and engage with wider audiences. His notable books include Amongst the Believers: The Kumbh Mela at Prayag, Indianisms and That Which Is Unseen. Through his photography, publications, exhibitions and mentorship, Panjiar continues to influence India's photographic landscape and inspire emerging visual artists.