In a landmark verdict, the Bombay High Court on Friday said there should be no gender discrimination as far as entering places of worship is concerned, and declared that no law prevents women from entering these places. The court was hearing a PIL challenging the tradition prohibiting women from entering the inner sanctum of some temples in the state, including the Shani Shingnapur temple (pictured above).

The court also directed the government to ensure compliance with the rule, and said this was “the fundamental right of a woman” that the government should protect, reported PTI. The state government assured the court that it will take steps to enforce the order, and that it was against such gender discrimination. The rule will not apply to places of worship that do not allow men into its sanctum sanctorum. However, the law that will now be enforced allows six months imprisonment for those allowing men and not women into places of worship.

Recently, women and activists protested the ban on women entering the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar. The Supreme Court will also decide on a law banning women from the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala.