India's Modi inaugurates temple in Ayodhya

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the consecration on Monday of a grand temple in the city of Ayodhya on a site believed to be the birthplace of Hindu god Ram.

"The supernatural moment of the consecration ... is going to leave everyone emotional," Modi posted on social network X minutes before the ceremony began. "It is my great pleasure to be a part of this divine programme."

Nearly 8,000 people were invited to Monday's ceremony, while more than 10,000 police personnel guarded the city of 3 million.

The temple opens to the public on Tuesday and its management expects 100,000 visitors each day for the next few months.

The temple is built on the site of a 16th-century mosque that was demolished in 1992.