Ram temple Ayodhya opening: India eagerly anticipates the unveiling of the majestic Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Ram temple Ayodhya opening: On the eve of Monday's inauguration of a grand temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Ram in Ayodhya, thousands of Indians joyfully took to the streets. Clad in saffron attire and waving saffron flags, they danced and chanted religious slogans, expressing their excitement for the upcoming event at the site believed to be Lord Ram's birthplace.
On January 22, 2024, students from Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthanam gather around a Ram temple formation in Ahmedabad, India. The image is captured during celebrations. (Source: REUTERS)
The event in the northern city of Ayodhya is seen as a significant moment for the majority Hindu population in the world's most populous nation. This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party seeks an unusual third term in elections scheduled for May.
In a message featured on the front pages of newspapers, Modi expressed that the construction of the Ram Temple serves as a means to bring the country together. This statement comes ahead of a spectacle that is expected to be witnessed by millions of Indians both at home and abroad.
The temple fulfills a crucial 35-year-old pledge made by Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and it has been a hotly debated political matter that played a role in propelling the party to prominence and authority.
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The location of the temple was fiercely disputed for many years, as both Hindus and Muslims laid claim to it. This disagreement led to nationwide riots in 1992, resulting in the deaths of 2,000 people, predominantly Muslims. The violence erupted after a Hindu mob destroyed the 16th-century mosque that stood on the site.
Hindus in India claim that the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and has been sacred to them since long before Muslim Mughals destroyed a temple at the location to construct the Babri Masjid, a mosque, in 1528.
In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hindus, granting them the land and directing the allocation of a separate plot for Muslims, where the construction of a new mosque is yet to commence.
The main event on Monday is scheduled to commence at 12:20 p.m. (0650 GMT) and last for about 40 minutes. During this time, a blindfold on the 51-inch (130-cm) tall, black stone deity will be removed, concluding the consecration ceremonies that began over a week ago.
An exclusive gathering of nearly 8,000 people is expected to attend the ceremony, including top business leaders, movie stars, and sportspersons. Over 10,000 police personnel have been deployed across the city of 3 million people to ensure security and prevent gatecrashers.
The temple will be open to the public starting Tuesday, with the management anticipating a minimum of 100,000 visitors daily for the initial months.
The consecration has sparked religious fervor nationwide, prompting many states to declare Monday a holiday. Stock markets are closed, and homes and businesses are illuminated, following Modi's call to mark the event as another Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
Commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta, reflecting on the sheer magnitude of the event, wrote in the Indian Express newspaper, "It is a watershed moment with almost no precedent in history."
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