Ayodhya, India, is set to witness the grand opening of a $217 million temple dedicated to Lord Ram. The controversial construction, built over the remains of the Babri Mosque, has sparked both celebration and criticism. Political opponents of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi are refusing to attend, calling the event a mockery of secularism in India.
Why Is the $217 Million Temple Important?
Spread over 7.4 acres, the Ayodhya temple is a monumental structure made of pink sandstone, adorned with intricate carvings. A statue of the deity Ram will sit at the center of the temple complex. Hindus believe Prince Ram, the famous hero of the ancient epic tale The Ramayan, was born in Ayodhya in 5000 BC.
The new temple exists on the site of the Babri Mosque, which makes the location very controversial. Muslims in India, who make up 20% of the population and number around 200,000 people, revered the Babri Mosque and were devastated when a Hindu nationalist mob destroyed the 400-year-old holy place in 1992.
For nearly 30 years, Hindus and Muslims brought legal cases to the country's Supreme Court to secure the right to build on the site of the mosque. Still, in November 2019, the court ruled in favor of building a Hindu temple on the site.
What Is the History of the Babri Mosque?
Mughal generals built the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in the 16th century. Hindus argue that the Mughals destroyed a Hindu temple to build the mosque, but research into this has proven inconclusive.
For 300 years, the mosque existed without much fanfare or controversy. Under British colonial rule, which focused on implementing a divide-and-conquer strategy between Muslims and Hindus in the subcontinent, the mosque became a lightning rod for growing Hindu Nationalist sentiment. The British built a fence at the site in 1859, but it wasn't until 90 years later, just after Indian independence, that the site became legally disputed.
In the 1990s, the Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took up a public campaign to reclaim the site of the Babri Mosque. This eventually led to the violent destruction of the mosque and jail time for some of the party's leaders.
What Is Hindu Nationalism?
Hindu nationalism is a political ideology that advocates for transforming India into a Hindu nation-state. India is an incredibly diverse country with more than 2,000 ethnic groups. According to government census information, 80% of the country is Hindu.
Even though India is a secular democracy, with the separation of religion and politics as a part of the constitution, Hindu nationalism has continued to grow across the country from the 1980s to today. Hindu nationalist political parties such as the BJP actively persecute Muslims and seek to change existing legal systems and societal structures so that Muslims cannot thrive in India.
What Does the BJP Have to Gain?
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been at the forefront of the Hindu nationalist movement and has promised to build the Ram temple as part of its electoral strategy. The elaborate consecration ceremony serves as a platform to solidify support among the Hindu majority, particularly with an eye on the general election coming later this year.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences?
The opening of the Ayodhya temple raises concerns about democracy and religious tolerance in India. It is likely to hurt social cohesion as it prioritizes the privileges of Hindus over Muslims. It also highlights the broader issue of the erosion of India's identity as a secular nation, causing critics to wonder how long the ruling political parties will continue to voice support for secularism while actively undermining it.
As the temple opens its doors, India grapples with the implications of this monumental event on its diverse cultural fabric. The political gains for the BJP party will be seen later this year.