Modi opens controversial Ram temple in India

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – A $217 million Hindu temple in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya will open today.

Dedicated to Lord Ram, Hinduism’s most revered deity, it is on the site of the 16th-century Babri Mosque, which was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking nationwide riots that killed more than 2,000 people.

The dispute was ended in 2019 with a Supreme Court ruling that gave the land to Hindus. The temple is three storeys high in a 70-acre complex and the opening is a national state event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking part in the consecration ceremony.

The government has organised live screenings across the country, and many states have given people a half day holiday to join in the celebration.