Ayodhya: Religious spectacle to mark Modi's opening of Ram temple

Labourers stand on top of the illuminated grand temple of Lord Ram ahead of its opening in Ayodhya in India, January 19, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

AYODHYA, India (Reuters) - A grand temple to Hindu god Lord Ram opens on Monday on a site in India millions believe is his birthplace, in a religious spectacle led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi months before he seeks a rare third term in elections.

The construction of the temple is a 35-year-old, central promise of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a contentious political issue that helped catapult the party to prominence and power.