A decades long Hindu nationalist dream is about to be achieved. What does this mean?

CNN —

Ornate gifts have started arriving in the Indian city of Ayodhya as the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to inaugurate a vast Hindu temple that he hopes will firm his chances for a rare third election win in just a few months’ time.

Though still not complete, the sprawling Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir fulfils a long-standing promise by Modi to build a Hindu temple on the site of a 16th century mosque that was destroyed by Hindu mobs more than 30 years ago.

That attack transformed India and turbo-charged the country’s Hindu nationalist movement.

For that reason, Monday’s ceremony is highly controversial, and while many Hindus will be celebrating its inauguration, for the country’s minority Muslim population, it’s a painful reminder of religious divisions they fear are becoming more pronounced under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s happening in Ayodhya on Monday?

An idol of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities, will be unveiled inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, in a consecration ceremony conducted by Modi and broadcast to millions.

More than 7,000 people have been invited to attend the ceremony in person, including high-profile politicians who are flying in from across the vast country to take part.

Some 100 chartered planes are expected to land in Ayodhya on Monday, with hotel prices surging and last-minute bookings costing upwards of $1,200 per day, according to local media reports.

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Since January 16, priests have been conducting prayers and performing rituals as workers move the idol into the temple’s complex. Senior