A “new era” has begun for India. The inauguration of a controversial Hindu temple dedicated to the god Rama in Ayodhya, a city in Uttar Pradesh, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 marks the new step towards Indo-nationalism. The temple, which is 50 meters high and cost $217 million raised from private donations, was built on the site of a centuries-old mosque and was destroyed in 1992 by Hindu fanatics incited by Modi’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The destruction suffered by Muslims
Although it is a day of celebration for northern India, it is not for the Muslim minority living in the subcontinent. The opening of the Hindu zone still represents an open wound. Let’s take a step back. In 1992, an angry mob of Hindu extremists destroyed a 16th-century mosque and recaptured from Muslim invaders the land on which the Babri mosque was built on the ruins of the Ram temple. Most importantly, he is respected for his heroism.
The destruction of a Muslim place of worship led to riots across the country in which approximately two thousand people died. There was also a legal battle that ended in 2019 when the New Delhi High Court awarded the disputed land to Hindus, despite making clear that the demolition of the mosque was a “serious violation of the rule of law”. Instead, Muslims were given land (not yet cleared) to build a mosque outside the city, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The ruling party says it wants to make Ayodhya, with the new religious site, the religious capital of the country, India’s “Vatican City”.
I look forward to voting in the general election.
On the other hand, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya pays homage to decades of Hindu nationalist devotion. The move to build the temple on the same site as the mosque was a major factor that brought the Modi-led party, the BJP, into the political limelight in the 1990s.
There is one factor that does not go unnoticed by the Indian opposition and political analysts. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Ayodhya temple a few months before the general elections and the Bharatiya Janata Party was aiming for a third consecutive term. This is why some Hindu prophets, as well as the opposition, are cautious, accusing Modi of using the incident for political gains and wanting to use his consensus to once again lead the Asian country in light of the general elections: It is secular according to its constitution. The prime minister’s political rivals say the ruling party will seek votes on behalf of the temple in a country where 80 percent of the population is Hindu. But for now, a historic victory is being celebrated in India, at least in Hindu-majority India.
The magnificence of the ceremony
The controversial consecration of the temple, which was broadcast live on television across the country, was brought up because the work was not yet completed; The structure should be completed by the end of the year. Spanning 7.2 acres, the impressive three-storey structure, clad in pink sandstone and anchored with black granite, features towering columns and stands atop 6,503 square meters of white marble. Once fully operational, the temple expects to host 150,000 visitors a day; This is seven times the current rate.
Wearing a traditional golden silk robe, Modi takes part in the Pran Pratisha ceremony, which means “formation of life force” in Sanskrit, while revealing the black god statuette placed in the middle of the altar and blessing it with flowers. and eating to the accompaniment of religious songs and the ringing of hundreds of bells. Besides the Prime Minister, the fundamentalist monk Yogi, the governor of Uttar Pradesh, and Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the RSS, the extremist Hindu paramilitary formation from which Modi comes and supports the policies of the BJP, are also present. While a galaxy of movie stars, industry captains, musicians and athletes sat in the area reserved for VIPs just outside the temple, 8,000 guests watched the ceremony from the stands on giant screens. Artists and jewelers also sent various gifts to Ayodhya, including a golden bell weighing 2,100 kilograms, a giant lamp weighing 1,100 kilograms and an incense stick that would burn for more than a month.
Local officials say the Modi government is trying to transform sleepy Ayodhya, located on the banks of the Saryu, a tributary of the Ganges, into “a city with global reach where people flock as pilgrims and tourists.” The project, for which 3.85 billion dollars was allocated for this target, includes the expansion of roads, the construction of a new airport and a giant train station, as well as a multi-storey car park.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
