India's Ram Temple spotlights rise of religious boomtowns

CHENNAI, India -- The opening of India's controversial Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya has fueled a real estate boom, highlighting the power of religion and "spiritual tourism" to spur development and business in other parts of the country as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the sprawling Hindu temple last month, which was constructed at an estimated cost of $225 million on a site known as a flashpoint of religious conflict. A 16th-century mosque, Babri Masjid, on the same parcel, was demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992, sparking deadly communal riots. Hindus believe the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of their most revered deities.