Ayodhya is perhaps the first-ever ruling delivered by SC on a Saturday

Settling a fractious issue that goes back more than a century, the Supreme Court in a historic verdict on Saturday backed the construction of a Ram temple by a government trust at the disputed site in

The judgment in the Ayodhya land dispute case is historic in more than one sense as it is perhaps for the first time in the 69-year history of the Supreme Court that a verdict was delivered on Saturday.

Judges hold court five days a week, from Monday to Friday, and in extraordinary circumstances hold hearing in courtroom on Saturdays or any other holidays. But it was rare that Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi chose Saturday to deliver such an important judgment, a senior official of the apex court said.

“There have been hearing of cases in extraordinary circumstances on Saturdays, Sundays