Reuters, Ayodhya, India, January 23 Tuesday saw tens of thousands of Hindus brave the bitter cold to pray at a brand-new temple dedicated to Lord Ram in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated the temple one day earlier at a location thought to be the god-king's birthplace.

The unveiling has been presented by Hindu organizations, Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and its allies as a part of a Hindu revival following centuries of oppression by Muslim invaders and colonial powers.

"I was quite insistent about this... One of the tourists, Guddu Shukla, told news agency ANI, "I will only leave after I have seen my Lord Ram." The group was waiting in line at the temple gate at 4 a.m. in temperatures of roughly 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit).

A government official named Murli Dhar Singh stated that he was one of the approximately 200,000 devotees that gathered in the city following the consecration, and he was among the over 50,000 who queued up before daybreak on Tuesday to enter the temple.

The location was fiercely disputed for many years by Hindus and Muslims of minority groups. In 1992, a Hindu mob demolished the 16th-century mosque there, setting off nationwide riots that claimed 2,000 lives, most of them Muslims, according to police.

The location was sacred to Hindus since it is said to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Muslim Mughals destroyed a temple there in 1528 in order to construct the Babri Masjid, or mosque.

"Those inside the temple are crying and hugging the walls," a worshipper from central India said, declining to reveal his identity.
"If you are a true follower of Hindu tradition, you'll have tears in your eyes, because that idol represents the 500-year long struggle."
Due to the dense crowds and detours along the route, police asked people on social media to avoid the temple area.

Analysts predict that Modi's efforts to win a third term in the national elections that are scheduled for May would be strengthened by the temple opening.

In response to Modi's request to treat Monday like Diwali, the festival of lights that commemorates Ram's return to Ayodhya in Hindu mythology, celebrations were staged across the country on Monday, where Hindus make up the majority of the population of over 1.42 billion people.

Muslims have indicated they have gotten over the disagreement, stating the temple was constructed in accordance with court rulings and they have no ill will. They intend to start construction on a new mosque in the city in May.