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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday opened a Hindu temple built on the ruins of a historical mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya, delivering on a crucial Hindu nationalist pledge his ruling party hopes will catapult him to a record third successive term in upcoming elections.
The inauguration of the temple, which is still under construction, is dedicated to Hinduism’s Lord Ram and fulfills a long-standing demand made by millions of Hindus who worship the revered deity.
Modi’s party and other Hindu nationalist groups who seized on this demand have portrayed the temple as central to their vision of reclaiming India’s Hindu pride they say was shadowed by centuries of Mughal rule and British colonialism.
Modi, dressed in the traditional outfit of a Kurta, led the opening ceremony amid religious hymns chanted by Hindu priests inside the temple’s inner sanctum where a 1.3-meter (4.25-foot) stone sculpture of Lord Ram was installed last week. A conch was blown by a Hindu priest to mark the temple’s opening and Modi placed a lotus flower in front of idol made of black stone.
Nearly 7,500 people, including the country’s most elite industrialists, politicians and movie stars, watched the ritual on a giant screen outside the temple as a military helicopter showered petals.
Ayodhya, once dotted with tightly packed houses and rundown stalls, has undergone an elaborate makeover in the lead up to the inauguration. Narrow roads have been turned into a four-lane pilgrimage route leading to the temple, tourists are arriving at a new airport and sprawling railway station, and major hotel chains are building new properties.
Harish Joshi arrived in Ayodhya from Uttarakhand state four days before the ceremony, hopeful that he may be able to get a glimpse of the ceremony. “I am here to see history unfolding before our eyes. For centuries, the story of Lord Ram has resonated in the hearts of millions,” he said.
The temple, located at one of India’s most vexed religious sites, is expected to embolden Modi’s chances of clinching a record third successive term by drawing on the religious sentiments of Hindus, who make up 80% of India’s population of 1.4 billion.
Built at an estimated cost of $217 million and spread over nearly 3 hectares (7.4 acres), the temple lies atop the debris of a 16th-century mosque. It was razed to the ground in 1992 by Hindu mobs who believed the Babri Mosque was built on temple ruins that marked the birthplace of Lord Ram.
Officials say the temple, a three-story structure etched out of pink sandstone, will open to the public after the ceremony and they expect 100,000 devotees to visit daily. Builders are still working to finish 46 elaborate doors and intricate wall carvings.
The inauguration has morphed into a massive national event.
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