Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered on a decades-old promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party by opening the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Monday.

In a post on X, Modi said that it was a great honour for him to be able to participate in the consecration.

Many states in India have declared a national holiday with celebrations expected in many places. Modi has called upon India to celebrate the day as another Diwali.

The temple, which Hindus believe to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, was built on the ground where the Babri Masjid once stood in Uttar Pradesh. The mosque was brought down in riots that killed almost 2,000 people.

In 2019, the Indian Supreme Court gave the location to the Hindu majority in India, awarding a separate location for the construction of a new mosque. Construction of the temple has since gone ahead at a brisk pace.

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The government has set up an invite-only ceremony for the unveiling of the temple with major businessmen, politicians and movie stars expected to be in attendance. A total of 8,000 high-profile guests have been invited.

The ceremony to unveil the temple will begin at 12:20 pm in India and will run for a total of 40 minutes. The ceremony will involve removing the blindfold from a black stone deity that measures 51 inches in height.

PM Modi arrived ahead of the ceremony to perform ‘Pran Pratishtha’ in the temple. The ritual is known to put life into idols to transform them into a deity according to Hindu belief.

Indian newspapers reported that celebrations are taking across the entire country with Modi calling it a moment for the nation’s unity.

According to Indian media reports, the temple will not be open to the general public until Tuesday. From that point on, at least 100,000 visitors are expected to arrive at the temple every day.