"Decades-Long Hindu Nationalist Dream Nears Reality: Understanding the Implications"

A decades-long Hindu nationalist dream is on the brink of realization. What does this imply? Despite not being fully constructed, the expansive Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir fulfills an old commitment by Modi to build a Hindu temple on the site of a 16th-century mosque, which was destroyed by Hindu mobs over three decades ago. Elaborate gifts have started arriving at the Indian city of Ayodhya as the country's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, gears up to unveil a substantial Hindu temple. He believes this venture will bolster his chances of attaining an uncommon third electoral victory in just a few months. Notwithstanding its incomplete status, the extensive Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir adheres to Modi's long-standing promise of constructing a Hindu temple on the location of a 16th-century mosque, razed by Hindu crowds more than 30 years ago. This assault transformed India and heightened the country's Hindu nationalist movement. For this reason, the Monday ceremony is extremely controversial. While many Hindus will celebrate its inauguration, for the country's Muslim minority population, it's a painful reminder of religious divides they fear may be intensifying under Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Here's what you need to know. What will transpire in Ayodhya on Monday? A Lord Ram idol, one of Hinduism's most revered deities, will be unveiled within the temple's sanctum sanctorum in a consecration ceremony directed by Modi and televised to millions. Over 7,000 individuals have been invited to personally attend the ceremony, including high-profile politicians who fly in from across the vast country to participate. About 100 chartered planes are expected to land in Ayodhya on Monday, with reports of hotel price surges and last-minute reservations costing over US$ 1,200 per day. Dozens of temples and mosques were also targeted in a series of revenge attacks that killed more than 2,000 people across the country. Since January 16, priests have been conducting prayers and performing rituals as workers transport the idol to the temple complex. Senior BJP leaders have given numerous televised interviews about the events, and Indian news channels cover the temple festivities 24/7. The ceremony is also anticipated to be broadcast abroad in Indian embassies and on massive television screens in New York's Time Square. Ahead of the event, Modi has been fasting and praying in an 11-day ritual loaded with Hindu religious symbolism. “The Lord has made me an instrument to represent the entire people of India during the consecration,” he said in a recorded message on his YouTube channel. "I seek blessings from all of you," Modi added. Why is the Ram Mandir so controversial? The temple site was once home to Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, built during the Mughal rule that presided over India from 1526 to 1858. Many Hindus believe that Babri Masjid was constructed on the ruins of a Hindu temple, supposedly demolished by Babar, the first Mughal emperor of South Asia. The site carries significance for them since they believe it is the birthplace of Lord Ram, now honored with the construction of the new Ram Mandir. Hindu nationalist groups had campaigned for years to demolish the mosque and build a temple in its place. In 1992, encouraged by the BJP and other right-wing outfits, hardline Hindus attacked it with hammers, triggering widespread communal violence. Dozens of temples and mosques were additionally targeted in a series of retaliatory attacks that killed over 2,000 people throughout the country. The violence was amongst the worst seen in India since the bloody clashes that accompanied the partition following independence in 1947. In the following years, Hindu nationalists joined forces to construct the Ram Mandir on the site of the destroyed mosque, leading to an emotionally charged and politically fraught stand-off that lasted for decades. In 2019, the Indian Supreme Court granted Hindus permission to construct the temple on the contested site, thus ending the dispute.