Ayodhya Temple Celebration: Grand Ceremony to Celebrate the Inauguration of Ram Temple by India's Modi.
Ayodhya Temple Celebration: A magnificent temple dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Ram is set to open this Monday at a location in India that millions believe to be his birthplace. The inauguration is part of a religious ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, occurring just months before he vies for an unusual third term in the upcoming elections.
Workers stand atop the brightly lit grand temple of Lord Ram in anticipation of its opening in Ayodhya, India, on January 19, 2024. [All Image Source: REUTERS]
The construction of the temple is a 35-year-old, central promise of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a contentious political issue that helped catapult the party to prominence and power.
Hindu organizations are presenting the inauguration ceremony in the northern city of Ayodhya as the pinnacle of Hindu resurgence following centuries of perceived subjugation by Muslim and colonial powers. This event is also viewed as the symbolic beginning of the deeply religious leader Modi's campaign for re-election in the upcoming general elections expected by May.
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The temple site has been a source of bitter contention for decades, with both Hindus and Muslims asserting their rights to it. It became a focal point for violence, particularly after a Hindu mob in 1992 demolished a 16th-century mosque that once stood on the site.
Many Hindus in India believe that the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and holds deep religious significance for them. This belief predates the construction of the Babri Masjid, a mosque built in 1528 by Muslim Mughals after razing a temple at the same spot.
In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hindus, granting them the land and ordering the allocation of a separate plot to Muslims.
On Monday, Prime Minister Modi is set to participate in the concluding rituals to officially inaugurate the temple. Thousands of members from the BJP and its affiliates, along with religious leaders and devotees from across the country, are expected to gather in Ayodhya for the event.
Religious Emotion Overflowing Amid Political Controversy
Prime Minister Modi expressed that he sees himself as a tool representing all of India during the consecration of the temple, initiating 11 days of special rituals leading up to the inauguration. Describing it as a "historic moment" when Lord Ram will find his place in the grand temple, Modi called on Indians to illuminate lamps in their homes and local temples on Monday evening, creating a festive atmosphere similar to Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
According to political commentator Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi, the temple consecration appears more like the launch of a general election campaign than a religious ceremony, with the prime minister taking on the role of an emperor conducting a significant ritual sacrifice.
Situated on a 2.67-acre site within a 70-acre complex, the temple's first phase is now complete, and the final phase is expected to finish in December 2025. Funded entirely by donations from within the country, the estimated cost of the project is 15 billion rupees ($181 million).
Leading up to the consecration, India has witnessed an emotional outpouring among Hindus, with residential areas and markets adorned with holy flags, hosting special prayers, and making arrangements to broadcast Monday's event on large screens.
The inauguration has also become a source of political controversy, with major opposition parties, including the Congress, rejecting invitations, claiming it has turned into a Modi-centric political event. Muslim groups, while initially dissatisfied with the 2019 court verdict favoring Hindus, have expressed acceptance, stating they welcome the construction of the temple following the Supreme Court's direction. Zufar Ahmad Faruqi, head of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation, remarked that the Muslim community holds no ill-will, and they are actively building a new mosque in Ayodhya, about 25 km from the temple site.
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