An Indian court on Wednesday permitted Hindu worshippers to pray inside Gyanvapi mosque in the city of Varanasi.
The mosque was built in the 17th century by the Mughal empire in a city where Hindu community faithful from across the country cremate their loved ones by the Ganges river.
The court in Varanasi ruled that Hindu worshippers — who believe the mosque replaced a destroyed temple to the deity Shiva — could pray in the building’s basement.
Its verdict ordered district authorities to “make proper arrangements within the next seven days” to facilitate worshippers.
The decision is the latest in a long-running legal saga over Gyanvapi’s future.
This month, India’s official archaeological agency said a survey of the site appeared to corroborate the belief that it was originally home to a temple, according to local news reports.
