Divine moment or political gimmick? India gears up to inaugurate huge Hindu temple

The huge Ram Mandir temple still under construction in Ayodhya, built where a mosque was torn down by a Hindu mob in 1992 after decades of disputes. Photograph: Rajat Gupta/EPA

Amid the deafening roar of construction and exuberant cries of visiting devotees, the outlines of India’s largest Hindu temple are gradually emerging.

For now, Ram Mandir, in the holy town of Ayodhya, is only half built. The grand pillars, vast domes stretching 49 metres (161ft) high, and elaborate gateways and carvings that will eventually form the final architecture of this much-anticipated temple have all yet to be completed; instead it remains largely a building site, filled with dust, bulldozers, scaffolding and high fences to prevent intruders.