The Shri Ram Mandir has its roots in the Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic attributed to the sage Valmiki. This epic narrates the life and adventures of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Lord Rama was born in Ayodhya to King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya, according to Hindu mythology. The epic starts with the divine birth of Rama and his three brothers, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. Rama’s early years were marked by his marriage to Sita, an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. However, Rama’s exile to the forest, caused by the schemes of his stepmother Kaikeyi, sets in motion a series of events leading to the legendary battle against the demon king Ravana. The central episode of the Ramayana, known as the “Ramayana Yuddha” or the Battle of Lanka, results in Rama's victory over Ravana and the rescue of Sita. After the triumphant return to Ayodhya, Rama is crowned as the king, marking the beginning of the ideal rule known as “Ram Rajya.” The narrative of the Ramayana encapsulates themes of duty, righteousness, and the victory of good over evil.

The Babri Masjid was built in the 16th century at the site, which is now a disputed land. In 1949, idols of Rama and Sita were placed in the mosque. In 1992, the mosque was attacked and demolished. Recently, in 2019, the Supreme Court of India passed a verdict that granted the disputed land to the Hindus for the construction of a temple. In the same verdict, the Muslims were allocated land elsewhere to construct a mosque. The court referred to a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as evidence that a non-Islamic structure was found beneath the demolished Babri Masjid. The ASI report was heavily disputed by critics, but the Supreme Court accepted it as valid. The court concluded that the underlying structure beneath the mosque was not an Islamic structure, and there was no evidence that a non-Islamic structure was specifically demolished for the construction of the Babri Masjid. The Hindu claim that the disputed structure is the birthplace of Rama was deemed undisputed by the court. The court opined that there is clear evidence that Hindus believed the site to be Rama's birthplace.