Ayodhya Ram temple: A glittering makeover for a holy Indian city

Next week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a grand temple dedicated to Hindu deity, Lord Ram, in the northern city of Ayodhya.

The fulfilment of the decades-long Hindu nationalist pledge is being accompanied by a massive transformation for Ayodhya, including expanded roads, a new airport and railway station, and a multi-level car parking facility.

But along with this, more than 3,000 homes, shops and other structures have been either completely or partially demolished.

The BBC’s Soutik Biswas and Bimal Thankachan travelled to the temple city to explore the two sides of this transformation.