Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a temple in the north of the country on Monday that symbolizes the triumph of his Hindu nationalist politics. A mosque once stood on the site, the destruction of which sparked violent religious unrest.
Wearing traditional gold-colored attire, the Prime Minister unveiled a black statue dedicated to God Rama at the heart of the new 50-meter-high temple in the city of Ayodhya.
“January 22, 2024 is not just a date on the calendar, but marks the beginning of a new era,” he said.
This temple was built on the former site of a mosque that was demolished by Hindu fanatics in 1992. This destruction, sponsored by members of the ruling party, triggered the worst religious unrest in the country since independence and left around 2,000 dead, most of them Muslims. It also undermined India's officially secular policies.
Outside, tens of thousands of worshipers, singing and dancing, waving flags, honking horns and beating drums, filled the city's streets under a shower of flower petals showered by military helicopters.
For the ruling Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opening of the Ram Mandir temple caps several decades of efforts to reorient the country's politics towards the majority religion. It is also a way to unofficially launch Narendra Modi's re-election campaign.
Pilgrim stream
Around 2,500 musicians are expected to perform on over 100 stages in front of crowds of pilgrims.
Many of them had to walk for days to reach the temple, which authorities said cost around $240 million to build and was funded by public donations.
It took 18-year-old Vijay Kumar four days to reach the city after traveling 600 kilometers on foot and hitchhiking. “We wanted to be here,” he said. “We just want to see the temple before we go.”
The 140 kilometers that separate the temple from the city of Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh, are lined with panels depicting the blue-skinned god Rama with a bow and arrow, as well as portraits of Narendra Modi and the region's chief priest, Hindu Monk Yogi Adityanath.
“It’s all because of Modi,” said Prem Sharan, a 35-year-old resident of Ayodhya. “Some say that the event will be an electoral turning point. So be it. At least they deliver what they promised, and we must have the power to do things for the people.”
Other pilgrims have arrived at the newly constructed international airport and will stay in hotels designed to accommodate the millions of pilgrims expected each year.
Several celebrities are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony, including former national cricket team captain Virat Kohli and Bollywood film star Amitabh Bachchan.
“Destruction”
Narendra Modi and the BJP have sought to promote and bring Hinduism to the fore since they came to power a decade ago.
Hindus believe that Rama, one of the most revered gods in the pantheon, was born in the city of Ayodhya over 7,000 years ago and that the Babri Mosque at his birthplace was built by a 16th-century Muslim emperor.
The BJP, not yet in power, played a key role in the campaign that led to the destruction of the mosque by organizing processions across the country, which subsequently sparked several religious riots.
Narendra Modi's inauguration of the temple along with Hindu priests was intended to strengthen his position as a defender of the faith ahead of April's general elections.
The BJP has a strong chance of winning a third straight victory, thanks in part to the prime minister's pro-Hindu policies.
Opposition parties boycotted the ceremony on the grounds that it was an election event.
Among India's 200 million Muslims already concerned about rising interfaith tensions, many are watching the event with concern.
Mohammed Shahid, a 52-year-old Muslim, remembers how his father was burned alive by a Hindu mob during the violence that erupted in the city more than three decades ago.
“For me the temple symbolizes nothing other than death and destruction,” he says.