Indian banyan tree restriction lifted

The Indian defence ministry is to lift restrictions on the worship of a centuries-old banyan tree - known locally as akshayavat - on the banks of the Ganges river in Allahabad.

The tree, which is revered by many Indians, is inside a fort built by the Moghul emperor, Akbar, about four-hundred years ago.

When the British army converted the fort into a munitions depot, civilians were barred from entering.

Now the Indian Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has agreed to build a separate approach road which will once again allow pilgrims access to the sacred tree.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service