Bhojsala complex is a temple, says Madhya Pradesh High Court on disputed site

Bhojsala complex is a temple, says Madhya Pradesh High Court on disputed site

The High Court ruled Bhojshala's religious character as a Saraswati temple, ended the shared worship arrangement, directed ASI to oversee preservation, and suggested separate land for a mosque.

'CONTINUITY OF HINDU WORSHIP' NOTED BY COURT

“We have noted the continuity of the Hindu worship at the site, though regulated over time,” the bench observed while tracing the historical and religious evolution of the complex.

“The historical literature of the place establishes it as a centre of Sanskrit learning associated with Raja Bhoj. It indicates the existence of a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati at Dhar. Therefore, the religious character of the area is held to be Bhojshala with temple of Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati,” the court said in its ruling.

In a landmark verdict that could reshape the decades-old Bhojshala-Kamal Maula dispute, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday declared the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar as a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati and struck down the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) 2003 arrangement permitting Muslims to offer namaz at the site.

Delivering the judgment, a division bench of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi held that historical records, archaeological material and literary evidence established the religious character of the monument as a Saraswati temple associated with Raja Bhoj, the Parmar ruler credited with making Dhar a centre of Sanskrit learning.  

Reacting to the verdict, Asaduddin Owaisi said that it had similarities with the Babri Masjid judgement and hoped the Supreme Court would overturn the order. "We hope the Supreme Court will set this right and overturn this order. Glaring similarities with the Babri Masjid judgment," he said in a post on X.  

The verdict also quashed the ASI's 2003 circular under which Hindus were allowed to perform puja on Tuesdays while Muslims could offer Friday namaz at the protected monument. The arrangement had remained one of the most contentious aspects of the long-running dispute between Hindu and Muslim groups over the site's identity.

COURT SUGGESTS ALTERNATIVE LAND FOR MOSQUE

While recognising the Hindu claim over the monument, the High Court simultaneously attempted to safeguard the religious rights of the Muslim community. The bench said the Madhya Pradesh government may consider allotting suitable land within Dhar district for the construction of a mosque if an application is submitted.