Al Jazeera reports:

There was heightened security in Ayodhya, a town in north India, ahead of the Supreme Court’s verdict on a site claimed by both Muslims and Hindus.

Early on Saturday, the town looked deserted as residents stayed inside their homes, waiting for the decision to be announced.

Some had even stocked up on food in advance, just in case the decision provoked anger, violence and eventually a curfew in this historic town.

But when India’s top court delivered its verdict, Hindu-majority Ayodhya slowly went back to normal, with people back in the streets.

A heavy police presence did not deter locals from venturing out and expressing their happiness or reservations about the landmark judgement.

In a landmark verdict that disappointed Muslims, the court awarded Hindus control of the site, paving the way for the construction of a temple.

A 16th-century mosque, known as Babri Masjid, had been at the site until December 6, 1992, when it was destroyed by Hindu mobs. The country later witnessed some of the deadliest religious riots since independence, in which thousands of mostly Muslim Indians were killed. [Continue reading…]