The temple inauguration marks the culmination of a decades-long dispute over a site Hindus believe is the birthplace of the god Ram. Critics call the temple a monument to India's eroding secularism.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will help consecrate the unfinished temple on Monday, on the site of a 16th century mosque destroyed in 1992. Critics say the rushed ceremony is a political stunt.
Both faith communities have long shared this sacred city. But some Hindus have taken legal action over a mosque they claim holds idols of Hindu deities.
India's Hindu nationalists say they've drastically cut crime in Uttar Pradesh, where key elections are underway. Human rights advocates say there's been a spike in police brutality against minorities.
New state laws make it harder for interfaith couples to marry. The idea is to halt forced marital religious conversions. But they've emboldened extremists to interrupt weddings.
