Why a new temple to Ram in Ayodhya matters so much to Indians

B y one count there are almost 700,000 Hindu temples in India. Yet for many devotees it was the one that did not exist—a monument to mark the ostensible birthplace of Ram, a Hindu god—that mattered the most. On January 22nd their yearning will come to an end when Narendra Modi, the prime minister, consecrates the Ram mandir, a grand temple in the northern city of Ayodhya. Some 8,000 people will attend the ceremony, including scores of officials from Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp) and dignitaries from 55 countries. Why is the temple so important? The answer starts with Ram. He is revered more than most gods in the Hindu pantheon, especially in northern India. He is said to have lived on Earth around 7,000 years ago. His stepmother conspired to have him exiled to a forest, where his wife was kidnapped by Ravana, a demon-king. Ram vanquished Ravana, won back his wife and returned home victorious. The period that followed, known as the Ram Rajya, is said to have been characterised

B y one count there are almost 700,000 Hindu temples in India. Yet for many devotees it was the one that did not exist—a monument to mark the ostensible birthplace of Ram, a Hindu god—that mattered the most. On January 22nd their yearning will come to an end when Narendra Modi, the prime minister, consecrates the Ram mandir, a grand temple in the northern city of Ayodhya. Some 8,000 people will attend the ceremony, including scores of officials from Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp) and dignitaries from 55 countries. Why is the temple so important? The answer starts with Ram. He is revere