RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – For many Hindus in the diaspora, Ram temple opening signifies a new beginning — one that has the power to strengthen the roots of the global Hindu ecosystem.
The consecration of a temple to the Hindu god Ram, in the northern Indian city said to be his birthplace, will be marked with state-sponsored fanfare this weekend.
But in the United States, the events surrounding the triumphant inauguration of the temple are seen as a chance to put Hindu Americans on the map as well.
For many Hindus in the diaspora, the temple’s official opening will strengthen ties between Hindus.
Some in India and the South Asian diaspora see in the temple a symbol of the Hindu nationalism that has fueled discrimination against Muslims and other minorities in the country and that has been used by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cement his political dominance.
Yet the opening of the temple comes after a legal battle that lasted more than 70 years over questions about the historical evidence of Ram’s birth being at the exact location of the Babri Masjid Mosque, and whether remnants found under the mosque ever belonged to a Ram temple.
Conflict over the site has resulted in street battles as well: In 1992, a group of Hindus led a mob in destroying the 16th-century Babri Masjid that stood on the site. Riots followed, killing thousands.