In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court on Friday lifted a ban that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 from entering the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala, holding this centuries-old Hindu religious practice is illegal and unconstitutional.

Women activists hailed the judgment that paved the way for entry of female devotees of all ages as a victory for gender equality while Union Women and Child Development Minister, Maneka Gandhi, said it would make Hinduism even more inclusive. The temple barred women of a "menstruating age" - defined as between the ages of 10 and 50 - from entering.