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͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ‘Has to be built’: The temple at the heart of Modi’s India re-election bid For Modi’s BJP, the Ram Mandir, built on the ruins of the demolished Babri Masjid, represents a promise fulfilled – and a trap for opponents. A construction crew works on Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram, being built at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, December 29, 2023 A construction crew works on Ram Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram, being built at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, December 29, 2023 [Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo] By Sanjay Kapoor Published On 16 Jan 202416 Jan 2024 Save articles to read later and create your own reading list. Ayodhya, India – For hundreds of years, a journey to Ayodhya for many Hindu pilgrims meant a walk down narrow lanes to the Hanuman Garhi Mandir, a temple honouring Hanuman, the monkey god. Now a wide street leads to the shrine, with shops on both sides selling sweetmeats as offerings to the deity. Hanuman Garhi has a brooding dark dome, and the temple has a new coat of red and saffron paint. Its young priests are sprightly and quick. But the 10th-century temple in the northern Uttar Pradesh state is no longer the main attraction here. Some 500 metres (547 yards) away, a brand new, as yet incomplete, construction has taken hold of India’s attention. Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 US Senator Tim Scott endorses Trump for president in blow to Nikki Haley list 2 of 4 Popcorn and curfews: India gets ready for Ram temple with frenzy and fear list 3 of 4 Purges in China’s military allow Taiwan some respite – for now list 4 of 4 Could the New Hampshire primary be Haley’s last stand against Trump? end of list Long queues of young men and women chant “Jai Shri Ram” (Victory to Lord Ram) as they try to enter the complex, guarded zealously by police officers. One policeman helpfully tells them to deposit their mobile phones in a safe. Inside, craftsmen work on large horizontal prefab structures. Others chisel away painstakingly at pillars and rock features. It is not noisy, but there is a buzz of construction activity everywhere. The queue leads to a statue of Ram, which will give way to a new one that has been selected in a nationwide competition and will be moved to the venue on January 17. Meanwhile, workers race against time, repairing the steps of a nearby baoli or step-well, and building accommodation for pilgrims. They have a deadline to meet – January 22 – by when they must build enough of the Ram Mandir for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate it, amid nationwide frenzy around the project fed and fuelled by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allied Hindu majoritarian outfits. Built on the ruins of a mosque of the 16th century, Babri Masjid, which Hindu activists demolished in December 1992, the temple is close to the site that is believed by many Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, a personification of the victory of good over evil. In 1990, the BJP and quasi-religious bodies like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) launched a massive campaign demanding that a temple be built where the mosque stood, culminating in the physical assault on the existing shrine two years later. The movement catapulted the BJP, which had won only two out of the 543 seats in the lower house of India’s parliament, to national centre stage. Now, the semi-constructed temple is poised to serve as the backdrop for what many analysts and opposition leaders say is effectively the launch of Modi’s campaign for re-election in the 2024 national polls, expected to be held between March and May. ‘No one disputes the importance of the temple’ To many Ayodhya residents, and those visiting the temple town, it is a moment to cherish. “We are very happy with the temple,” said Daudas, the chief priest at Hanuman Garhi, adding that it would be good for the economy of the city too. Deepak Gupta, a shopkeeper near Hanuman Garhi, agreed and said many tourists were already visiting the city to see the construction that has been under way. More pilgrims would come, he said, after the January 22 consecration. At a petrol station on his way from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, to Ayodhya, businessman Dalip Chopra acknowledged that political reasons might be driving the project. But, he added, “No one disputes the importance of the temple and the fact that it has to be built.” Had he ever prayed to Ram before? “We will do it now,” he said, defiantly. Sign up for Al Jazeera Weekly Newsletter The latest news from around the world. Timely. Accurate. Fair. Please check your email to confirm your subscription By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy protected by reCAPTCHA Vijay Mishra, an astrologer and priest who divides his time between Lucknow and Ayodhya, said a brand new international airport and a railway station, both inaugurated by Modi on December 30, “could make many bigger cities envious” of Ayodhya. Politics or religion? Across Ayodhya, flags of the governing party lazily flutter alongside banners of a victorious Ram and an angry Hanuman, reinforcing the idea that the temple is a gift to India’s Hindu majority from the BJP. Only 6,000 specially chosen invitees will be allowed in on January 22, and the security blanket, it appears, is aimed at preparing for the possibility of excited crowds trying to enter. On October 30, 1990, the state police had fired on devotees and religious workers, known as karsevaks, as they tried to force their way to the site. At least 50 people were killed. The party in power then in Uttar Pradesh is now in opposition. And a BJP government in the state will not want even the possibility of a repeat. “What would happen if thousands come to Ayodhya,” wondered Shyambabu, owner of a sweetmeat shop in front of the Hanuman Garhi temple. Besides Modi, others who will be part of the consecration include Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological parent; Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a priest chosen to perform the ceremony. That the inauguration is taking place before the temple is complete, and that it focuses on Modi — who is not from the Brahmin or priestly community — has upset some Hindu gurus. Four of the most prominent seers, called the Shankaracharyas, are boycotting the event. Also skipping the event is the opposition Congress party, which described the inauguration as a political show rather than one meant to honour Ram. India’s mostly pro-government mainstream media has savaged the Congress over its decision — the BJP and its allies portray India’s Grand Old Party as anti-Hindu and focused on the interests of Muslims. But political analyst Harish Khare said the Congress decision was a reflection of the leadership of the party’s current president, veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who in 2022 took over from the Nehru-Gandhi family that has controlled the Congress for much of the past 75 years. “Unlike the Gandhis, the new Congress president will not allow himself to be on the backfoot on this matter,” Khare said. “Mr Kharge has brought in new clarity that the new president would not be part of any congregation in which the RSS chief would be a major presence.” The Congress is the hub around which the opposition alliance, called INDIA, has been built. With elections coming up, Congress cannot be seen as complicit in a ceremony orchestrated by the party it wants to replace. For the BJP, meanwhile, the Congress decision is a chance to reinforce its narrative that it alone cares about the country’s Hindus. On January 22, as the Ram Mandir is consecrated, a re-election campaign too, will in effect be inaugurated ---------------------------------------- cross the boundless world of surfing, there is no reef break as notorious as Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, the ultimate proving ground for surfers. Among many of its seductions, Pipeline promotes the purest brand of surfing: the art of barrel riding. The waves are so large that, as they begin to crash down on to the ocean, a tunnel often forms inside them. Surfers spend years trying to perfect the technique of barrel riding; entering those tunnels, picking the correct line once inside and hurtling at breakneck speed to the exit before the wave crashes on them. Filipe Toledo holds a surfboard while preparing to compete at the Pipe Pro in Oahu, Hawaii in 2024 Reigning world surf champion Filipe Toledo takes year off competition for mental break Read more The weekend before last, the World Surf League’s (WSL) Championship Tour opened its season at Pipeline and the women’s spectacular performances clearly marked a defining moment in the recent history of the sport. From the beginning of the Pipe Pro semi-final between the Australian 21-year-old Molly Picklum and Bettylou Sakura Johnson, an 18-year-old Hawaiian, both competitors fearlessly attacked the massive waves without hesitation. Each time one tore through a spectacular barrel, the other responded with a brilliant tube of their own. It was a stunning spectacle. It culminated in Picklum scoring the first perfect 10 of the season before a brilliant ride from Johnson in the final 30 seconds nearly snatched victory. Later that day Caitlin Simmers, a charismatic 18-year-old Californian, triumphed over Picklum after another brilliant duel. As she digested the biggest success of her young career, still sitting on her board in the ocean, Simmers did not hesitate to offer her thoughts: “Pipeline’s for the fucking girls,” she said. For so long, Pipeline simply did not exist for professional female surfers. While the best male professionals have competed there since its inaugural contest in 1971, for 49 years there had never been an elite professional event for women. Most recently, the women competed across the Hawaiian islands at Honolua Bay in Maui while the men tackled Pipeline. Change came only by chance in the aftermath of a tragedy. In December 2020 a recreational surfer, Rob Warren, was killed by a shark at Honolua Bay. After deliberating over what to do with the remainder of the women’s Maui Pro, the WSL opted to conclude the event alongside the men at Pipeline. Since then, the best women’s tour has never left. The growth of women’s surfing has been undeniable. With every year, the field has become deeper, with the younger surfers demonstrating the sport’s continued progression. In 2019 the WSL recognised the sport’s progress by offering women equal prize money at every Championship Tour event. Still, debates raged on regarding the absence of women at Pipeline; those who pushed for women’s competitions there were told that the waves were too difficult, too gnarly for the women. Some of the surfers themselves also wanted to ensure that when they did begin to compete at Pipeline, they were ready for it. Learning the ropes of a wave as difficult as Pipe usually takes many years, so women surfers were stuck in a dilemma. There were no similar conditions on the WSL Championship Tour, so there was little reason for many of the top women to focus their training on such big waves. “Trying to learn how to surf waves like Pipeline and Sunset and those crazy, scary waves that have been dominated by men for so many years, it’s hard to get a break and it’s hard to get a wave to feel like you’re comfortable in these spots, to be able to perform,” said Isabella Nichols, an Australian professional surfer, in an interview with Fox Sports Australia. For those who wanted to prove themselves at Pipeline, merely trying to catch a single wave there is an enormous challenge in itself. Outside the professional competitions, where the ocean is cleared of all surfers aside from the competitors, a wave as historic and prominent as Pipeline can attract well over 100 surfers on any given day. Surfers have to earn their respect in the lineup before others allow them to ride a good wave and, in such a male-dominated sport, disrespect is common for female surfers. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to The Recap Free weekly newsletter The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action Enter your email address Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion It is unsurprising, then, that over the past three years the women’s performances at Pipe have improved significantly with every new opportunity to tackle the wave: “It’s been freakin’ phenomenal because I have never pushed myself so much in my life,” said Nichols. The ad hoc decision to move the women to Pipe in 2020 has proved to be a sliding-doors moment for the entire sport and it is no coincidence that the standard was set by three competitors aged 21 and under this year. The five-time WSL champion Carissa Moore and Moana Jones Wong, both Hawaiians, remain two of the excellent surfers at Pipe but a fearless new generation has emerged which has tackled the wave without fear or favour, showing their immense skill. Their triumphs this year have ensured that nobody can ever doubt or undermine their presence at the most famous wave in the world again. “This wave’s terrifying. I respect everyone who wants a part of it and I respect everyone who doesn’t want a part of it. Because it’s friggin’ freaky,” Simmers said. Then she smiled: “Really thankful for this wave.” In the end, their performances have also underlined what has always been clear about women’s sports. Provide female athletes with sufficient investment, equal opportunities and appropriate stages, and they will make rapid progress, even when tasked with navigating the most treacherous waves and finding the perfect route out the other side. This article was amended on 19 February 2024. Banzai Pipeline is a reef break, not a beach break as an earlier version said. 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