NEW DELHI: A Hindu temple in western India on Friday lifted a centuries-old ban forbidding female devotees from entering, after a court said women had a fundamental right to worship.

Activists have been campaigning to end Shani Shingnapur temple’s traditional ban, after authorities last year blocked a woman who attempted to enter its inner sanctum.

“We have followed the court order and allowed women devotees into the inner sanctum,” Satish, a temple official, said from Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra state.

Bombay High Court said last week women have a fundamental right to go into places of worship and asked authorities to ensure their safety.

The court’s directive followed a petition by the Bhoomata Brigade, a women’s group who attempted to enter the temple in January along with dozens of other activists.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2016