Indian PM Modi opens controversial Hindu temple with speech on ‘divine India’

The Hindu Vatican. For example, the new Ram temple in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya was described earlier. The grand opening of the religious complex was broadcast live on Indian channels on Monday. Political interests – especially those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – also played a major role.

The ceremony in Ayodhya was formal for special invitees, but thousands came to watch. When the statue of Ram was unveiled, helicopters flying overhead showered flowers on the crowd. Thus, the god’s “journey” and “battle” are over “after nearly five hundred years,” was the slogan that followers shared on social media. This refers to the troubled history of the temple. The Ram Mandir stands on what is said to be the birthplace of the god. But there was also a sixteenth-century mosque there for centuries, the Babri Masjid. The historic monument was destroyed by Hindu mobs in 1992. The demolition led to riots and riots across the country, resulting in thousands of deaths. In preparation for the opening, testimonies appeared in the national media, where Muslims talk about the fear of death that they endured at that time.

The land use dispute was settled in 2019 by the Supreme Court of India, which gave the area to the Hindus. Archaeological discoveries, even older than the mosque, would show that there was a sanctuary there. A plot outside the city has been earmarked for a new mosque.

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Hindu Nationalism

Apart from religious celebrations, India also got a political milestone on Monday. During the inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a central role, even in the ceremony. The fact that the politician participated in the work of the priests was met with opposition from some purists.

But the construction of the Ram temple fits perfectly with the image that Modi and his ruling party BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are promoting: an India where Hinduism rules. It was even an election promise from Modi’s first election victory in 2014. He himself laid the foundation stone in 2020. That, he said then, was the foundation of the Ram Mandir and for Hindu Rashtra, the Hindu nation that Modi and the BJP are pursuing. Adherents of such Hindu nationalism see Muslims and Christians as ‘invaders’ of India, who are treated as second-class citizens.

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On Monday, government services across the country were closed until after the opening ceremony. Critics called this a violation of the separation between religion and state, even though India is secular according to the 1947 constitution. The inauguration was also organized on a large scale outside Ayodhya. Bright orange flags with the image of the temple hung on the facade of residential areas in the capital New Delhi and other major cities.

‘God’s India’

“From this moment onwards, we promise to build an India that is not only independent, but also resounds with greatness and divinity,” the Prime Minister said on Monday. The city of Ayodhya received a new international airport and train connections in recent years. The temple complex should promote the local economy. Modi likes to show that he is modernizing India.

The work of building the temple has not yet been completed, nor has the mosque replaced the Babri Masjid. When the opening of the Ram temple would take place was determined using numerology, which calculates the so-called ‘auspicious time’ of the date (January 22, 2024) and time (12:29 local time). It was put on the national agenda. The timing is certainly good for Narendra Modi, who is running for a third term as head of state: about four months before the national elections. Religious jubilation, victory, and the Prime Minister will seem to be connected to most Indians from last Monday.

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