The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench recognized the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar district as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, and directed the Centre and ASI to decide administration and management. It quashed an ASI order from April 7, 2003 that allowed Friday namaz inside the complex. The court relied on ASI’s 2024 scientific survey, saying the site predates the mosque and was built using repurposed temple components. Mosque representatives may seek separate land to build a mosque.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar a Saraswati temple, calling the dispute a major victory for Hindu petitioners after 700 years of litigation and faith-based claims. The Indore bench quashed an Archaeological Survey of India order that had allowed Muslims to offer prayers every Friday at the site. Petitioners also celebrated outside court, with sweets and replicas of the Vagdevi idol, alleging the original idol is in London’s British Museum.
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The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that the Bhojshala complex in Dhar is a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), settling a long-running dispute with the Kamal Maula mosque. The court set aside a 2003 ASI order that had allowed Muslims to offer prayers at the site, while keeping overall administration and upkeep with the Archaeological Survey of India. It cited historical and literary evidence linking the complex to Raja Bhoj and directed the government to consider repatriating the idol from the British Museum.
The Muslim side told the Madhya Pradesh High Court that old revenue records label the Bhojshala complex as a mosque, arguing there is no clear record of a Saraswati temple linked to Raja Bhoj. They seek occupation rights based on historical titles and Muslim law, while objections are raised over the ASI’s survey process.
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