First after SC's verdict, priests perform evening aarti on bank of Sarayu river in Ayodhya

In a first after the Supreme Court's verdict in Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, a grand evening 'aarti' was performed on the banks of Sarayu river here on Saturday.

Soon after the sunset, the priests of the temples followed the devotional ritual of 'aarti' using brass burner lamp. Amid the chanting of hymns all around, the 'aarti' was performed in the presence of hundreds of devotees, who lined up along the banks of Sarayu.

The Supreme Court on Saturday directed the Central government to hand over the disputed site at Ayodhya for the construction of a temple and set up a trust for the purpose. The apex court further directed the Central government to give a suitable plot of land measuring five acres to the Sunni Waqf Board.

A five-judge constitution bench presided by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer passed the order on a batch of petitions against an order of the Allahabad High Court which trifurcated the site among Ramlalla Virajman, Sunni Central Waqf Board and Nirmohi Akhara.