AYODHYA, India (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to open Monday controversial Hindu temple built on the ruins of a historic mosque in the holy city of Ayodhya. The grand event, which will be attended by thousands, is expected to benefit India’s poll leader just months before a general election.
The grand opening of the still-under-construction temple is dedicated to Hinduism’s most revered deity, Lord Ram. It fulfills a demand made by millions of Hindus for more than 100 years and fulfills a crucial campaign promise by Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ayodhya, once dotted with tightly packed houses and derelict stalls, has underwent a complex renovation on the eve of the opening. Narrow roads have been converted into a four-lane pilgrimage route leading to the temple, tourists are arriving at a new airport and the sprawling railway station, and major hotel chains are building new properties.
On Monday morning, the mood in the city was jubilant. Pilgrims from all over the country have arrived to celebrate the opening, with groups of them dancing to religious songs blaring from loudspeakers along flower-lined roads. Huge cutouts of Lord Ram and billboards of Modi are all over Ayodhya, where borders have been sealed to prevent more people from entering. About 20,000 security personnel and more than 10,000 CCTV cameras are deployed.
Workers decorate with flowers a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Ram, a day before the grand opening of the temple in Ayodhya, India, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Harish Joshi arrived in Ayodhya from the state of Uttarakhand four days before the ceremony, hoping that he might be able to see the ceremony. “I’m here to see history unfold before our eyes. For centuries, the story of Lord Ram has echoed in the hearts of millions,” he said.
The prime minister, along with several Hindu priests, will attend the consecration ceremony later on Monday, for which a 1.3-metre (4.25 ft) stone sculpture of Lord Ram was installed in the temple’s inner sanctum. In total, nearly 7,500 people are expected to attend, including the country’s most elite industrialists, politicians and movie stars.
Analysts and critics see Monday’s ceremony as the start of the election campaign for Modian outspoken nationalist and one of India’s most significant leaders who sought to transform the country from a secular democracy to a distinctly Hindu state during his nearly 10 years in power.
The temple, located at one of India’s most troubled religious sites, is expected to boost Modi’s chances of winning a record third consecutive term by appealing to the religious sentiments of Hindus, who make up 80 percent of India’s population of 1.4 billion souls.
Built at an estimated cost of $217 million and spread over nearly 3 hectares (7.4 acres), the temple sits on the ruins of a 16th-century mosque. It was razed to the ground in 1992 by Hindu mobs who believed the Babri Mosque was built on the ruins of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The site has long been an intense religious hotspot for both communities, with the mosque’s destruction sparking bloody riots across India that killed 2,000 people, mostly Muslims.
Indian Air Force helicopters shower flower petals over a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Ram, a day before the grand opening of the temple in Ayodhya, India, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
The dispute ended in 2019 when, in a controversial ruling, India’s Supreme Court called the destruction of the mosque an “egregious violation” of the law, but awarded the site to Hindus while giving Muslims another plot of land.
The fraught history is still an open wound for many Muslims, who see the construction of the temple as evidence of Modi’s Hindu-first policy.
Authorities say the temple, a three-story structure carved from pink sandstone, will be open to the public after the ceremony and expect 100,000 pilgrims to visit it each day. Builders are still working to complete 46 intricate doors and intricate wall carvings.
The opening became a massive national event.
The Modi government has planned live screenings across the country and even cinemas in some cities will broadcast the event while offering free popcorn. BJP workers have been going door-to-door handing out religious flags, while Modi has encouraged people to celebrate by lighting lamps in homes and at local shrines. His government declared a half-day closure on Monday for all its offices and many states declared it a public holiday. Even the stock and money markets are closed for the day.
A security guard stands guard outside the central sanctum of a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Ram on the eve of its grand opening, in Ayodhya, India, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
But not everyone is happy. Four key Hindu religious authorities refused to attend, saying the consecration of an unfinished temple went against Hindu scriptures. Some senior leaders from India’s main opposition Congress party also boycotted the event, with many opposition lawmakers accusing Modi of using the temple to score political points.
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Associated Press writer Krutika Patti contributed from New Delhi.
