India's Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a Hindu temple on a disputed religious ground and ordered that alternative land be given to Muslims.

The dispute over land ownership has been one of the country's most contentious issues.

The 16th-century Babri Masjid mosque was destroyed by Hindu hard-liners in December 1992.

The Supreme Court says in a judgment on Saturday that 5 acres (2.02 hectares) of land will be allotted to the Muslim community in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya.

The disputed land will be given to a board of trustees for the construction of a temple for Hindu god Ram.