Bhopal : 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.
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.
“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. 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.
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.
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.
The court further ruled that the ASI would continue to exercise “full supervisory control” over preservation and conservation of the monument, which is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.
The bench also took note of demands by Hindu petitioners seeking the return of an idol of Goddess Saraswati believed to be housed in a museum in London. The court said the government may consider representations seeking the idol’s return and possible installation within the Bhojshala complex. The dispute over Bhojshala dates back decades and centres around competing claims over the 11th-century structure.
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