.BY ONE matter there are actually just about 700,000 Hindu holy places in India. Yet for several devotees it was the one that carried out not exist-- a building to mark the plausible birth place of Ram, a Hindu god-- that mattered one of the most. On January 22nd their yearning will relate to an end when Narendra Modi, the head of state, anoints the Ram mandir, a marvelous holy place in the north city of Ayodhya. Some 8,000 individuals will attend the event, featuring scores of officials from Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and person of influences from 55 nations. Why is the temple therefore crucial?