Narendra Modi on Monday presided over the consecration of a Hindu temple on the site of a destroyed mosque, delighting millions of his supporters but drawing criticism from opponents who said India’s leader was flouting the country’s secular constitutional principles. Business leaders, celebrities and film stars joined the ceremony rich in pomp and symbolism that marked the opening of the first phase of the Ram Mandir shrine in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a northern state ruled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today opened a controversial Hindu temple built on the ruins of a historical mosque in the flashpoint city of Ayodhya. 

The temple, which is still under construction, is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Ram and fulfils a long-standing demand by millions of Hindus who worship the revered deity. 

About 80 chartered flights have landed at the new international airport of India’s holy city of Ayodhya for Monday’s partial opening of the controversial grand temple for one of Hinduism’s most revered deities, Lord Ram.

Ayodhya’s airport can barely accommodate the influx of private jets. “The planes will depart after dropping guests,” airport manager Saurabh Singh said.

The temple was built over a razed mosque, and most political opposition leaders are boycotting the temple’s opening, saying it doesn’t befit a secular India.