To the hymns of priests, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prostrated himself in front of the statue of a venerated god in Hinduism at a consecration ceremony livestreamed in and outside India on a day of widespread celebrations, only to the concern of opposition parties and other religious groups.

Wearing a traditional kurta tunic, Modi unveiled a 1.3-meter youth idol of Lord Ram Lalla in the inner sanctuary on the ground floor of the lavishly decorated Ram temple. The other parts of the $217 million temple are to be completed by 2025 in the city of Ayodhya in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Among the rituals, he planted a lotus in front of the black stone deity adorned with gold ornaments, breaking his days of fast after his speech.

"After centuries of waiting, our Ram has arrived," Modi said. "We are laying the foundation of India for the next 1,000 years from this moment."

The temple was built on the site of Babri Masjid, a Muslim mosque dating back to 1528. It was destroyed in 1992 by Hindu nationalist mobs believing the site was the birthplace of Lord Ram, and the demolition triggered 2,000 deaths in nationwide riots.

In December 2019, India's Supreme Court ruled that the temple could be built on the disputed 3-hectare site, in a decision criticized by Muslim groups.

Outside, to the witness of more than 7,500 dignitaries, Indian Air Force helicopters showered the temple with flower petals, with tens of thousands of pilgrims coming from across the country.

Sunita Viswanath, executive director of the US nonprofit Hindus for Human Rights, said in a news release: "Modi is not a priest, so leading this ceremony for political gain is both technically and morally wrong." The ceremony was an "electoral stunt", she added.

This year's general elections in India are scheduled for April or May. While 80 percent of the population are Hindu, a win by Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, would grant him a record third straight term.

Political gains

Opposition parties boycotted the inauguration, alleging Modi was using it for political gains and for votes.

"It will have an electrifying impact on the masses; it already has," Sangit Kumar Ragi, a professor of the Department of Political Science at Delhi University, said.

"There is a spiritual angle behind the temple inauguration as millions of Indians have been waiting for the temple.

"Certainly the temple will have a political impact ahead of the general election."

Amit Rajendra Dholakia, a professor of the Department of Political Science at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, said: "It is an attempt to consolidate Hindu vote bank because the BJP ... has been attempting to set up the temple for more than three decades. Today marks the success of this attempt."

The surge in Hindutva, a form of Hindu nationalism, will bolster the BJP, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and parts of Bihar, Dholakia said. About 70 percent of the Indian Parliament's 543 seats are from these states.

Indian National Congress, the main opposition party, accused Modi of inciting religious tension by inaugurating the temple.

"It's a step not only toward transforming India from a secular country to a Hindu country, but also a move to unite Hindu sentiments at a time when the general elections are due to be held in a few months' time," Jawhar Sircar, a lawmaker from an opposition party, said.

Modi and the BJP's participation in constructing the temple is more political than spiritual and cultural, said Sibaji Pratim Basu, an Indian academic and political scientist. "The inauguration of the Ram temple with all state support and encouragement is the beginning of a transition of …polity from a secular India to a monolithic Hindu country."

Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a religious and tourism destination, is expected to become a Hindu version of the Vatican, officials said. Modi has promised to build a "world-class city where people come as pilgrims and tourists".

Xu Weiwei in Hong Kong contributed to this story.

The writers are freelance journalists for China Daily.