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In an Indian town known as a flashpoint for sectarian violence, workers are crafting the final touches on a divisive temple<\/a> that has come to symbolise the country\u2019s rising tide of Hindu nationalism.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Narendra Modi will next month inaugurate Ayodhya\u2019s new shrine to Lord Ram on a site where the 16th-century Babri Mosque once stood before it was torn down by Hindu zealots more than three decades ago.<\/p>\n Muslim residents of the city, remembering the deadly riots that accompanied the demolition, have been wary of its renewed atmosphere of religious fervour.<\/p>\n But for many more, the project is both a means of restoring Ayodhya to the glory of its depiction in ancient Hindu texts and proof of Modi\u2019s commitment to defending India\u2019s majority faith just months ahead of national elections.<\/p>\n \u201cModi has stayed true to his promise,\u201d housewife Gudiya Devi told AFP<\/em> outside another temple in Ayodhya after her morning prayers.<\/p>\n \u201cAll these years we dreamt of a majestic Ram temple and now that dream is coming true,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is all thanks to Modi. He is our true leader.\u201d<\/p>\n Artisans were toiling on top of bamboo scaffolds on Friday to finish ornamental details on the main structure of the imposing shrine, which will stand 50 metres tall at its highest point.<\/p>\n With a price tag of an estimated 20 billion rupees ($240 million) according to project manager Jagdish Aphale, its builders expect tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims to visit the temple each year.<\/p>\n Immense sums from government coffers have poured into Ayodhya to give the city\u2019s dilapidated infrastructure a facelift ahead of the inauguration.<\/p>\n A new international airport will open on Saturday, road and rail connections have been upgraded and a crop of new hotels have sprung up almost overnight.<\/p>\n Sidewalks and pillars have been decorated with saffron flags and marigold flowers used in Hindu festivities to welcome travellers.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many pilgrims have already started pouring into the city,\u201d said Shubh Mangal, a 52-year-old who makes his living selling flowers and other offerings for Hindu worshippers.<\/p>\n \u201cMy profits have doubled. We are all overjoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n Ram is one of the most revered deities in the Hindu pantheon as the protagonist of the Ramayana, one of the faith\u2019s two foundational epics, which chronicles his battles with the demon-king Ravana.<\/p>\n \u2018Full of dread\u2019<\/h2>\n