Divisive Indian temple consecrated

By Rhea Mogul, CNN

(CNN) — The streets of Ayodhya turned into a sea of saffron on Monday as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the inauguration of a controversial Hindu temple in the holy town.

The populist leader unveiled a much-anticipated statue of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities, in the inner sanctum of the vast temple that was built on the ruins of a destroyed 16th century mosque.

Some 7,000 people – including celebrities, sports icons, industrialists and politicians – were invited to the festivities.

Every pillar and wall of the temple’s exterior was decorated with flowers and religious Hindu motifs.

Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple Monday, Modi presided over the Pran Pratishtha, or consecration ceremony, of an idol of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities.

Depicted as a young boy, the Ram statue of black stone was adorned with gold jewelry, gemstones, diamonds and flowers.

“Today our Lord Ram has come. After centuries of waiting, our Ram has arrived. After centuries of unprecedented patience, countless sacrifices, renunciations, and penances, our Lord Ram has arrived,” Modi said in a speech from the newly-constructed temple bedecked with colorful flowers.

“Ram is not a dispute, Ram is the solution.”

Hindu priests were also invited to the temple’s opening, with hundreds flocking inside with their cameras to catch a glimpse of the Ram idol and the grand interiors.

Dressed in saffron robes, a color closely associated with Hinduism, they were among the first people to step inside the vast building shortly after its inauguration by Modi.

Indian celebrities also arrived in Ayodhya to witness the consecration ceremony.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and tycoon Mukesh Ambani were among some 7,000 guests invited to Monday’s festivities.

Actor Anupam Kher, who has appeared in hundreds of films including “Bend It Like Beckham,” and Ram Charan, who appeared in the 2022 hit film “RRR,” were also pictured at the event.

Other celebrities, including Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Katrina Kaif, were also in attendance.

Outside the temple’s complex, devotees thronged the streets of Ayodhya, praying in the holy river and performing rituals as the ceremony unfolded.

Men and women were pictured carrying saffron flags, wearing flowers around their necks and chanting religious slogans.

The Ram Mandir is the realization of Modi’s dream to create what he has called a “new India,” which many consider to be the transformation of the country into a distinctly Hindu nation.

For Modi’s detractors, the temple’s inauguration is the conclusion of a decades-long campaign to pull India away from the secular roots upon which the country was founded following independence.

The temple was built on the site once occupied by the Babri Masjid, a 16th century mosque that was destroyed by violent Hindu mobs in 1992.

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