A Hindu temple built atop a razed mosque in India is helping Modi boost his political standing

A construction crew works on Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram in Ayodhya, India, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. Three decades after Hindu mobs tore down a historical mosque, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the consecration of a grand Hindu temple at the same site on Monday in a political move to boost his party ahead of a crucial national vote. - (AP Photo/Deepak Sharma, File)

NEW DELHI (AP): Three decades after Hindu mobs tore down a historical mosque, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the consecration of a grand Hindu temple at the same site on Monday in a political move to boost his party ahead of a crucial national vote.

Experts say the temple, dedicated to Hinduism’s most revered deity Lord Ram, will cement Modi’s legacy - enduring but also contentious - as one of India’s most consequential leaders, who has sought to transform the country from a secular democracy into an avowedly Hindu nation.