The Indian government is building the Ram Temple in the city of Ayodhya, North India on the site of the ancient Babri mosque built in 1528. The first phase of construction of the Ram Temple will be completed in December. The temple will be open to Hindus from January.
The location where the temple was built has been a point of contention for years between Hindus and Muslims in India. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site.
Hindus say the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram. They say the location was a holy site for them long before Mughal Muslims built the Babri mosque there in 1528. Hindu mobs destroyed the mosque in 1992, triggering riots. The clashes between Hindus and Muslims killed around 2,000 people across India. Most of the dead were Muslims.
India’s Supreme Court ruled to give the site to Hindus in 2019, paving the way for the construction of a Hindu temple. The plan has long been supported by the Hindu nationalist party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi has been invited to join the prayer procession at the opening ceremony, Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Temple Construction Committee, told reporters. “The ground floor (of the temple) will be completed in December 2023. After that we have to allow people to come and pray,” said Misra as quoted by Reuters, Thursday, September 14 2023.
Source : Tempo.co
