Ram temple on Babri mosque site in India to open in January

The 16th century Babri mosque, which stood at the site, was demolished by Hindu extremists in 1992, leading to severe riots

NEW DELHI, India – A grand temple dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Ram being contracted on the site of the demolished Babri Mosque in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya, is scheduled to open next year on Jan. 24.

According to India’s main news agency Press Trust of India, the temple will open after a ten-day consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol beginning Jan. 14.

Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the temple’s construction committee, said the first floor of the temple has been completed.

Astrologers have given several auspicious dates for the inauguration, of which January 24 is the preferred one.

 Authorities will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the ceremony.

Champat Rai, the trust’s secretary general, informed that the temple’s main gate and its 161-foot spire will be adorned with gold.

The 16th century Babri mosque, which stood at the site, was demolished by Hindu extremists in 1992, leading to severe riots.

The construction of this temple has been a major promise of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for over 30 years.

In 2019, the Supreme Court awarded Hindus the land to build the temple.

Construction of the temple, which is being overseen by Indian firm Larsen and Toubro, is scheduled to be completed by December 2025 and is expected to cost $181 million.

It is believed that the temple’s inauguration will coincide with the announcement of India’s general elections, scheduled for April/May next year.

Observers assume that Prime Minister Modi will use this in the elections to consolidate the Hindu vote.

Mishra insists, however, that the decision to open the temple in 2024 is not politically motivated.