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To the hymns of priests, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prostrated himself in front of the statue of a venerated god in Hinduism at a consecration ceremony livestreamed in and outside India on a day of widespread celebrations, only to the concern of opposition parties and other religious groups.

Wearing a traditional kurta tunic, Modi unveiled a 1.3-meter youth idol of Lord Ram Lalla in the inner sanctuary on the ground floor of the lavishly decorated Ram temple. The other parts of the $217 million temple are to be completed by 2025 in the city of Ayodhya in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Among the rituals, he planted a lotus in front of the black stone deity adorned with gold ornaments, breaking his days of fast after his speech.