ayodhya

India's Modi inaugurates a long-promised but controversial Hindu temple in Ayodhya

1:27pm January 22, 2024

by Omkar Khandekar

The temple inauguration marks the culmination of a decades-long dispute over a site Hindus believe is the birthplace of the god Ram. Critics call the temple a monument to India's eroding secularism.

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Building cranes tower over a new Hindu temple that will be consecrated with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance on Monday.

India's Modi to inaugurate Hindu temple in Ayodhya, where rioters destroyed a mosque

5:01am January 21, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will help consecrate the unfinished temple on Monday, on the site of a 16th century mosque destroyed in 1992. Critics say the rushed ceremony is a political stunt.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) performs the groundbreaking ceremony of a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Ram in Ayodhya, India, on Wednesday.

At Site Of Razed Mosque, India's Modi Lays Foundation For Controversial Hindu Temple

5:25pm August 05, 2020

The 1992 destruction of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu extremists sparked riots that killed thousands of Muslims, leaving a deep rift between the country's religious communities.

On Dec. 6, 1992, Hindu attackers hit the wall of the 16th century Babri Masjid with iron rods, part of a mob that tore down the mosque. Thousands were killed in rioting that followed the mosque's destruction.

Nearly 27 Years After Hindu Mob Destroyed A Mosque, The Scars In India Remain Deep

2:17pm April 25, 2019

by Lauren Frayer

The 16th century Babri mosque's destruction marked a turning point in Indian politics. Thousands, mostly Muslims, died afterward in riots. The prime minister vows to build a Hindu temple on the site.

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Indian activists carry placards displaying images of the Babri mosque during a December 2016 protest in New Delhi to mark the anniversary of the mosque's destruction in 1992.

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4 Indian Politicians To Stand Trial Over 1992 Mosque Destruction

2:06pm April 19, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

It was one of the most incendiary episodes in India's modern history, with communal rioting that killed more than 2,000 people. Now, the Supreme Court has revived criminal conspiracy charges.