A teenage Sikh girl on Tuesday won a historic legal battle to wear 'kara', a religious bangle, in her school, which banned her from attending classes for breaking the "no jewellery" rule nine months ago.

14-year-old Sarika [Images] Watkins Singh was excluded from Aberdare Girls' School in South Wales in November 2007, for refusing to remove a wrist bangle which is central to her faith.

Justice Silber in the High Court said the bangle - known as the kara - was a symbol of her Sikh faith and not a piece of jewellery.

"The school is guilty of indirect discrimination under race relations and equality laws."

As a sequel to the judgment, Sarika will be returning to the school in September wearing the Kara, a slim steel bracelet. Sarika said: "I am overwhelmed by the outcome and it's marvelous to know that the long journey I've been on has finally come to an end. I am so happy to know that no-one else will go through what me and my family have gone through.

 "I just want to say that I am a proud Welsh and Punjabi Sikh girl." Her mother, 38-year-old Sinita said: "We are over the moon. It is just such a relief." Her lawyers had told Justice Silber that the Kara was as important to her as it was to England [Images] spin bowler Monty Panesar [Images], who has been pictured wearing the bangle.

Image: Sarika Watkins Singh wearing her bangle with her mother Sanita in London [Images]. 

Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images