India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a temple on Monday that represents the victory of his strong Hindu nationalist ideology, rallying supporters in an unofficial start to his re-election campaign this year.
Modi, dressed in flowing golden traditional attire, revealed the black stone statue of the deity Ram in the core of the 50-meter temple, which was erected on the site of a mosque that had existed for centuries until being demolished in 1992 by Hindu fundamentalists incited by members of his party.
That destruction sparked the most violent religious riots since independence, killing 2,000 people, the majority of whom were Muslims, and upset India’s supposedly secular governmental structure.
Outside, tens of thousands of shouting and dancing devotees filled the streets of the northern town of Ayodhya, waving flags, honking horns, and banging drums as military helicopters rained flower petals from above.
Few members of Ayodhya’s Muslim minority were observed attending the celebratory street festival, and opposition leaders are said to have stayed away.
However, for Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the inauguration of the Ram Mandir temple marks a watershed moment in a decades-long effort to align the country’s administration with its majority faith.
“The Lord has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India,” Modi said ahead of the “auspicious” unveiling, as he prayed at the feet of the human-sized statue, garlanded with flowers and adorned with diamonds.
Tycoons, cricketers, and actors.
Thousands of Hindu followers danced in crowded streets as gigantic loudspeakers blared devotional songs, raising the excitement to a fever pitch.
Vijay Kumar, 18, took four days to arrive in town after traveling and hitchhiking 600 miles.
“We just wanted to be here,” Kumar explained. “We just wish to see the temple before we leave.”
Approximately 2,500 musicians are playing on over 100 stages for the thousands of pilgrims gathered around the magnificent temple, which cost an estimated $240 million and was funded by public contributions, according to the project’s sponsors.
The 140 km between the town and Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, is a seemingly continuous stream of billboards featuring blue-skinned Ram with bow and arrow, as well as Modi and the region’s chief minister, the saffron-robed Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath.
“It’s all because of Modi,” explained Prem Sharan, 35, an Ayodhya resident.
“Some detractors claim that it is being converted into an election-like atmosphere; so be it. At the very least, they are following through on their promises, and authority is required to accomplish things for the people.”
Other guests flew into the freshly constructed international airport and will stay in a slew of hotels designed to accommodate the millions of pilgrims anticipated to arrive each year.
Indian tycoons, former national cricket captain Virat Kohli, and Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan are among the star visitors scheduled to attend the inaugural ceremony.
Maria Ghanchi