Indian woman ascends previously banned summit

An Indian woman has reached the summit of a mountain that females were previously banned from climbing.

Dhanya Sanal's ascent to the summit of Agasthyakoodam in the southern state of Kerala came after a court ruling in November.

Local tribespeople oppose women climbing the mountain because of a statue of a Hindu sage on top they say is celibate.

The BBC reports that Ms Sanal, 38, had not been stopped by locals or protesters.

Also in Kerala, a centuries-old ban on women of menstruating age entering a Hindu temple was overturned in September. Protesters have stopped females from entering, though two women managed to gain access earlier this month.