For centuries, Hindu pilgrims and devotees have offered prayers at thousands of temples in Ayodhya, a city in northern India believed to be the ancient birthplace of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities. But none have warranted a $3.85 billion makeover of the city before the Ram Mandir, consecrated on Monday, Jan. 22 … Read more
AYODHYA, India — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday was set to open a contentious Hindu temple built on the ruins of a historical mosque in the holy city of Ayodhya. The grand event, which will be attended by thousands, is expected to benefit the Indian leader in the polls just months before a … Read more
Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave AYODHYA, India — When Hindu radicals stormed a 16th-century mosque in this Indian river town and tore it to the ground in 1992, the demolition mortified India’s leaders, ignited religious riots that killed 2,000 people across the country and spurred leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, accused … Read more
On Jan. 22, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a three-story monument made of marble, sandstone, and teak that features 44 gates and 392 intricately-carved pillars. But the structure, built on a vast 70-acre plot, may be the least remarkable part of the new Ayodhya temple. Its controversial inauguration atop the ruins of a … Read more