Indian town abuzz as divisive temple nears completion

AYODHYA, India: In an Indian town known as a flashpoint for sectarian violence, workers are crafting the final touches on a divisive temple that has come to symbolise the country´s rising tide of Hindu nationalism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will next month inaugurate Ayodhya´s new shrine to Lord Ram on a site where a mosque once stood, before it was torn down by Hindu zealots more than three decades ago.

Muslim residents of the city, remembering the deadly riots that accompanied the demolition, have been wary of its renewed atmosphere of religious fervour.

But for many more, the project is both a means of restoring Ayodhya to the glory of its depiction in ancient Hindu texts, and proof of Modi´s commitment to defending India´s majority faith just months ahead of national elections.

“Modi has stayed true to his promise,” housewife Gudiya Devi told AFP outside another temple in Ayodhya after her morning prayers.

“All these years we dreamt of a majestic Ram temple and now that dream is coming true,” she added. “This is all thanks to Modi. He is our true leader.” A new international airport will open on Saturday, road and rail connections have been upgraded and a crop of new hotels have sprung up almost overnight.