A colorful folk festival took over the streets of Ayodhya on Monday, when the long-awaited temple to the god Ram was opened to great jubilation among the country’s many Hindus. Built on the ruins of a historic mosque, the temple tears open Muslim wounds. Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls the day a “new era” for India. – By breaking the chains of slavery and learning from the past, the country will rise, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening. Many thousands took part in the celebrations when the temple in Ayodhya in India was opened on Monday. Photo: AMIT DAVE / Reuters A triumph The ceremony is being interpreted as a triumph for Modi’s Hindu nationalist policies in a year when he is standing for new elections. – Everything he breathes in is about this, highlighting India’s old Hindu cultures from the period before the country was colonized by Great Britain, says Professor Kathinka Frøystad to news. And it goes even further back in time, to before the country was ruled by Mughal rulers of Muslim descent. Millions of pilgrims are expected to the Ram temple annually. Photo: AP – It’s about showing the country’s greatness as it was, bringing out old temples that may have been forgotten, or fallen into disrepair, or demolished, says Frøystad. She explains that it is about supporting research that can show some of the magnificent things about pre-Mughal India, and truly restore the country’s pride and greatness. – And then this must be linked with being very forward-leaning when it comes to industry, business, technology, and so on, and India is very ahead of the curve there, says Frøystad. A man walks past a torn poster of the god Ram. Photo: Reuters Inflamed history There is less talk of the temple being built on disputed land. – India has a young population and many may not even be aware of the violent history behind this temple, says Frøystad. In 1992, Hindus attacked the mosque that had stood there for several hundred years. It was razed, and then removed. It sparked the worst religious riots since independence and killed 2,000 people. Kathinka Frøystad is a professor at the Department of Cultural Studies and Oriental Languages at the University of Oslo. She researches religious complexity in India. Photo: Ellen Evju Jahr / UiO Most of the dead were Muslims. – Those who are old enough to remember the riots in 1992, and to remember the great symbolic struggle that the Babar mosque was, probably think that this is a day of pain, says Frøystad. – A nail in the coffin Muslims make up 200 million of the Indian population and are the largest ethnic minority in the country. Their reactions to the Ram temple are low-key. – They don’t take to the streets. They don’t speak loudly. The statements I have seen are very cautious, so they think that there is another nail in the coffin, but no more, says Frøystad. A holy man in India walks along a street in connection with the opening of the temple. Photo: MONEY SHARMA / AFP The Hindus believe that they have rightfully taken the land back. They claim that a Muslim emperor settled in the 17th century and built a mosque at the birthplace of the god Ram. Millions of pilgrims are expected to visit the temple every year. Hotels and a new airport have been built to accommodate all visitors. The election The opening of the temple is very important in Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) aim to bring religion and political leadership together. Dancers dressed as Hindu gods celebrate the new temple. Photo: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP – The Lord has made me a tool to represent everyone in India, Modi said before the ceremony. Some have boycotted the ceremony because the temple was not completely finished before the opening, which is against Hindu beliefs. The haste may be related to the fact that it was important for Modi to get the temple in place in the election year. An artist has dressed as the Hindu god Ram in connection with the opening of the temple. Photo: SAM PANTHAKY / AFP – Some critics say it was made into an election-like atmosphere and let it be. At least they have done what they promised and you need power to do such things for the people, says Prem Sharan to AFP. Modi is very well positioned for the election in the spring. – Scientists don’t like to predict the future, but I can’t see that any of the opposition parties are strong enough to beat him. Then I would be very surprised, says Frøystad. A saffron badged believer with the name of the god Ram on his forehead. Photo: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP
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Inauguration of important Hindu temple shines a spotlight on Prime Minister Modi – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
