15 May,2026 04:36 PM IST | Indore | mid-day online correspondent
The court noted that there were indications of a Sanskrit teaching centre and a temple of Goddess Saraswati existing at Bhojshala. FILE PIC
In a major victory for the Hindu side, the Madhya Pradesh High Court (HC) on Friday declared that the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar district is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and said its administration and management can be decided by the Centre and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The Indore bench of HC, which was hearing the matter, also observed that the Muslim community, which identifies the 11th-century monument as the Kamal Maula Mosque, may approach the state government for allotment of separate land in the district for construction of a mosque.
In its much-awaited verdict in the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex dispute, the court noted that there were indications of a Sanskrit teaching centre and a temple of Goddess Saraswati existing at Bhojshala, news agency PTI reported.
HC said the religious character of the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex indicates that it is a temple of Goddess Saraswati.
"If the Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society applies for land allotment for building a mosque in Dhar district, the state government can consider it," the division bench stated.
It also set aside the 2003 ASI order that had permitted Muslims to offer Friday prayers at the Bhojshala premises.
Ahead of the verdict, around 1,200 police personnel were deployed in and around the complex.
Dhar Collector Rajeev Ranjan Meena warned of strict action against anyone circulating objectionable content on social media, while the administration constructed barricades at the site as Friday prayers coincided with the court verdict.
The long-standing dispute relates to the religious nature of the ASI-protected monument in Dhar district.
The Hindu community considers Bhojshala to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim side refers to the monument as the Kamal Maula Mosque. A petitioner from the Jain community has claimed that the disputed complex is a medieval Jain temple and gurukul.
After the controversy surrounding the Bhojshala complex emerged, the ASI on April 7, 2003, issued an order permitting Hindus to worship at the complex every Tuesday and Muslims to offer namaz there every Friday. The Hindu side challenged the order in the High Court, seeking exclusive worship rights at the complex.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi of the Indore bench began regular hearings on five petitions and one writ appeal related to the matter on April 6 this year.
After hearing all parties amid differing religious beliefs, historical claims, complex legal provisions, and thousands of documents related to the disputed monument, the bench reserved its verdict on May 12.
During the hearing, petitioners from the Hindu, Muslim, and Jain communities presented detailed arguments and sought exclusive worship rights for their respective communities at the monument.
Following a scientific survey of the monument, the ASI stated in its over 2,000-page report that a massive structure dating back to the reign of the Parmar kings of Dhar existed before the mosque and that the present disputed structure was built using repurposed temple components.
The Hindu side argued that coins, sculptures, and inscriptions found during the ASI survey proved that the complex was originally a temple.
However, the Muslim side contended in court that the ASI's survey report was "biased" and prepared to support the claims of the Hindu petitioners.
Rejecting the allegation, the ASI informed the court that the scientific survey process was conducted with the assistance of experts, including three from the Muslim community.
HC had directed the ASI to carry out a scientific survey of the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex on March 11, 2024. ASI began the survey on March 22 that year and, after a detailed 98-day exercise, submitted its report to HC on July 15.
(With PTI inputs)
