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Rama, considered an incarnation of the god Vishnu, is a widely worshiped Hindu deity. According to the ancient Indian epic, Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhya. In the 16th century, the Mughals constructed a mosque, the Babri Masjid which is believed to be the site of the Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Rama. A violent dispute arose in the 1850s. In the 1980s, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), belonging to the Hindu nationalist family Sangh Parivar, launched a new movement to reclaim the site for Hindus and to erect a temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ram Lalla) at this spot. In November 1989, the VHP laid the foundations of a temple on land adjacent to the disputed mosque. On 6 December 1992, the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata Party organized a rally at the site involving 150,000 volunteers, known as kar sevaks. The rally turned violent, and the crowd overwhelmed the security forces and tore down the mosque. The demolition resulted in several months of intercommunal rioting between India's Hindu and Muslim communities, causing the death of at least 2,000 people, and triggering riots all over the Indian subcontinent. A day after the demolition of the mosque, on 7 December 1992, The New York Times reported that "30 Hindu temples across Pakistan" were attacked, some set on fire, and one demolished. The government of Pakistan closed schools and offices on a day of protest. Hindu temples in Bangladesh were also attacked. Some of these Hindu temples that were partially destroyed during the retaliation of Babri Masjid have since remained that way. Further violence against Hindu structures in Pakistan was prevented by the Pakistan Army and the local Muslim community. A 1978 and 2003 archaeological excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found evidence indicating that Hindu temple remains had existed on the site. Archeologist KK Muhammad accused several historians of undermining the findings. Over the years, various title and legal disputes also took place, such as the passage of the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Ordinance, 1993. It was only after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute that it was decided the disputed land be handed over to a trust formed by the Indian government for the construction of a Ram temple. The trust was eventually formed under the name Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. Five acres of land was allocated for the mosque 22 km away in the city in Dhannipur village. On 5 February 2020, it was announced in Parliament that the Narendra Modi government had accepted a plan to construct the temple.

During the 2021 Delhi Republic Day parade on Rajpath, Uttar Pradesh's tableau showcased a replica of the Ram Mandir. मंदिर वही बनाएंगे (Mandir wahi banayage) is an expression in Hindi, translating as "the temple will be built there". It is one of the most popular slogans in relation to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and Ram Mandir used as early as 1985-86, popularized in the 1990s, and has a number of variations.The slogan has been used in both positive and negative connotations. It has been a symbol of hope and it has become a part of festivities on one hand, while on the other it has become a part of standup comedy, jokes, and memes. In 2019, the slogan was used in the Parliament of India, and has also been used by media houses. The slogan has been used as a threat as well as a vow. There are variations of the slogan such as one used by Lal Krishna Advani: "Saugandh Ram ki Khat-e hain; Hum Mandir Wahin Banayegein" (transl. We take a vow in the name of Rama: we will build the temple exactly there). Other variations and adaptations include "Wahin Banega Mandir" (transl. A temple will be built there), "Jaha Ram Ka Janma Hua Tha, Hum Mandir Wahi Banayenge" (transl. The temple will be built where Ram was born), "Ram Lalla Hum Aayenge; Mandir Wahi Banayenge" (transl. We are coming Ram Lalla, the temple will be built there) and "Pehle mandir, fir sarkaar" (transl. First the temple, then the government).

The original design for the Ram temple was prepared in 1988 by the Sompura family of Ahmedabad. The Sompuras have been part of the temple design of over 100 temples all over the world for at least 15 generations. The chief architect of the temple is Chandrakant Sompura. He was assisted by his two sons Nikhil Sompura and Ashish Sompura, who are also architects. A new design, with some changes from the original, was prepared by the Sompuras in 2020, in accordance with Vastu shastra and the Shilpa shastras. The temple will be 235 feet wide, 360 feet long, and 161 feet high. Once complete, the temple complex will be the world's third-largest Hindu shrine. It is designed in the Nagara style of Indian temple architecture. A model of the proposed temple was showcased during the Prayag Kumbh Mela in 2019. The main structure of the temple will be built on a raised platform and will have three storey. It will have five mandapas in the middle of the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) and the entry — the three mandapas Kudu, Nritya, and Rang; and two mandapas for the Kirtan and Prarthana on the other side. In Nagara style, the mandapas are to be decorated with shikhara. The tallest Shikhara will be that above the Garbhagriha. The building will have a total of 366 columns. The columns will have 16 idols each to include the incarnations of Shiva, the Dashavataras, the chausath  joints, and the 12 incarnations of the goddess Saraswati. The width of the stairs will be 16 feet. In accordance with scriptures dedicated to the design of temples dedicated to Vishnu, the sanctum sanctorum will be octagonal.The temple will be built in 10 acres and 57 acres of land will be developed into a complex with a prayer hall, "a Ramkatha Kunj (lecture hall), a Vaidik Pathshala (educational facility), a Sant Niwas (saints' residence), and a Yatri Niwas (hostel for visitors)" and other facilities like a museum and a cafeteria.

Ram Lalla Virajman, the infant form of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, is the presiding deity of the temple. Ram Lalla's dress is stitched by tailors Bhagwat Prasad and Shankar Lal; Shankar Lal is a fourth-generation tailor to Rama's idol.  Ram Lalla was a litigant in the court case over the disputed site since 1989, is considered a "juristic person" by the law.He was represented by Triloki Nath Pandey, a senior VHP leader who was considered as Ram Lalla's next 'human' friend.