In the holy city of Ayodhya, northern India, frantic preparations were under way on Wednesday to commemorate the dedication of a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Ram, the most venerated god in Hinduism.
With the Ram Mandir launching on Monday, a decades-long Hindu nationalist goal would be fulfilled, which is likely to resonate with voters ahead of the approaching national election in April or May.
Enormous tent cities were being set up in the vicinity to house the anticipated tens of thousands of believers. India’s wealthy elite, including prominent entrepreneurs, actors, and other celebrities, will travel in dozens of private aircraft to Ayodhya to attend the event.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has scheduled live screenings at several Indian embassies abroad in addition to across the nation.
Modi will be there for the consecration ceremony, which will place a statue of Ram in the inner sanctum of the temple, along with a number of Hindu priests.
Modi’s decision Since the 16th-century Babri Mosque was destroyed by Hindu mobs in 1992 and led to statewide riots that claimed the lives of over 2,000 people, the majority of whom were Muslims, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has long advocated for the temple’s replacement. The contentious ruling by India’s Supreme Court in 2019 put an end to the long-running issue by awarding Hindus the site and giving Muslims another piece of land for a mosque.
Ahead of the spring national elections, Modi is expected to gain significant momentum from the opening of the temple at one of the most divisive religious sites in India. Modi hopes to capitalize on the religious sentiments of the Hindu population, which makes up approximately 80% of the country’s population, in order to extend his rule for a record third consecutive term.
Within a complex that spans 28 hectares (70 acres), the temple is a three-story building covered in pink sandstone that occupies 2.9 hectares (7.2 acres). It will feature a 1.3-meter (4.25-foot) statue of Lord Ram, who was supposedly born exactly where the demolished mosque now stands according to Hindu belief.
The city, which was formerly home to cramped apartments and dilapidated shops, is currently undergoing a dramatic transformation.
There will be close to 7,500 attendees for the inaugural ceremony, and official estimates indicate that by the end of the year, Ayodhya will welcome an astounding 100,000 pilgrims every day.
The four-lane pilgrim path, which includes the recently constructed 13-kilometer (8-mile) Ram Path that leads to the temple, has replaced the tiny roads. The city is home to a brand-new airport and a large train station that can accommodate more than 50,000 passengers each day. Both locals and major hotel companies are developing new properties and turning existing houses into homestays. Expecting a spike in demand, street food and flower vendors have remodeled their stores.
Ayodhya has become a destination of both spiritual and commercial significance, according to Sharma’s subsequent development plans.
At an estimated cost of $217 million, the temple is now under construction but far from finished. The magnificent 46 doors—42 of which will have a layer of gold totaling about 100 kilograms (220 pounds)—and the various wall sculptures that will make up the temple’s final architecture are still being worked on by raucous bulldozers and active builders.
Because they believe it is against Hindu scriptures to consecrate an incomplete temple, at least two head priests from a certain Hindu sect have declined to attend the opening ceremony.
As per Modi’s direct instruction, politicians are going to nearby temples and sweeping the floors. Before the event, Indian TV channels are providing nonstop coverage. Additionally, volunteers from Modi’s party and other Hindu nationalist organizations are passing out religious flags and leaflets door to door.
One afternoon in recent weeks, Om Prakash Bhatia visited every home in a neighborhood in New Delhi, urging people to participate in Hindu rituals at nearby temples. With the assistance of additional volunteers, he distributed Hinduism-associated saffron flags to the villagers, who also applied vermillion to his forehead and gave him marigold garlands.
He screamed “Jai Sri Ram,” which translates to “Hail Lord Ram.” Hindu nationalists use this phrase as a rallying cry to argue that Hindu culture was destroyed by the Muslim Mughal emperors. Hindu nationalists have taken to claiming ownership of hundreds of old mosques as a result, raising concerns about the status of places of worship for Muslims in India. Hindu nationalist groups have been targeting the Muslim community in India in recent years, with the goal of transforming the officially secular country into an openly Hindu one.
Bhatia was not alone in feeling this way about the temple’s opening.
A local neighbor named Gaurav Shourey exclaimed, “I am very happy.” “Our generation takes pride in seeing the construction of temples, while our ancestors witnessed their destruction.”