Photos: Divisive Indian temple consecrated in ceremony overseen by Modi

CNN —

The streets of Ayodhya turned into a sea of saffron on Monday as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the inauguration of a controversial Hindu temple in the holy town.

The populist leader unveiled a much-anticipated statue of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities, in the inner sanctum of the vast temple that was built on the ruins of a destroyed 16th century mosque.

Crowds gather during the opening of a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ram, in Ayodhya, India, on January 22, 2024.

Some 7,000 people – including celebrities, sports icons, industrialists and politicians – were invited to the festivities.

Every pillar and wall of the temple’s exterior was decorated with flowers and religious Hindu motifs.

Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple Monday, Modi presided over the Pran Pratishtha, or consecration ceremony, of an idol of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plays a leading role in the ceremony consecrating a statue of the god Ram.

Depicted as a young boy, the Ram statue of black stone was adorned with gold jewelry, gemstones, diamonds and flowers.

“Today our Lord Ram has come. After centuries of waiting, our Ram has arrived. After centuries of unprecedented patience, countless sacrifices, renunciations, and penances, our Lord Ram has arrived,” Modi said in a speech from the newly-constructed temple bedecked with colorful flowers.

“Ram is not a dispute, Ram is the solution.”

Devotees gather near the idol of Hindu deity Ram at the newly consecrated temple in Ayodhya in India's Uttar Pradesh state on January 22, 2024.

Hindu priests were also invited to the temple’s opening, with hundreds flocking inside with their cameras to catch a