New Delhi , India ( CNN ) -- A verdict on a holy site claimed by both Hindus and Muslims will not be delivered Friday , as was previously expected . India 's Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily stayed the verdict . The order postpones a judgment that will decide ownership of long-disputed land in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya . Supreme court lawyer Mukul Rohatgi told reporters that the hearing on the petition would resume Tuesday . India stepped up security ahead of the anticipated decision and on Wednesday , temporarily banned mass text messages over fears that the ruling might spark sectarian passions . The order came from the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Home Affairs to telecommunications companies , instructing them not to deliver bulk text messages `` in all service areas with immediate effect for the next 72 hours . '' The northern Indian town has been a religious flashpoint for more than 400 years . Hindus believe that Lord Rama , one of the religion 's most revered deities , was born there . In 1859 , British colonial administrators annexed the site because of growing religious disputes and created separate Muslim and Hindu places of worship there . Two years after independence , in 1949 , the gates were locked after Muslims claimed Hindus had placed deities of Rama in their area . Hindu groups have pushed to build a temple in Ayodhya , to replace a Muslim mosque razed by a Hindu extremists 1992 . The destruction of the 16th-century Babri mosque sparked widespread riots in which more than 2,000 people died nationwide . A court battle over who has rights to build on the site has dragged on for years . This month , Hindus and Muslims were urged to pray for peace after the judgment date was announced , and some Ayodhya residents fled to avoid any violence . Rohatgi said the supreme court has sent notices to both sides in the lawsuit in an attempt to find a compromise over the explosive issue .
Both Hindus and Muslims claim rights to land in Ayodhya . The ancient town has been a religious flashpoint for 400 years . Score: 6 The government braced for more Hindu-Muslim violence and banned text messaging .