A file image of the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday (May 15, 2026) declared that the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, adding that the Muslim community may approach the State government for allotment of separate land in the district for construction of a mosque.
In its verdict in the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex dispute, the court also observed that there were indications of a Sanskrit teaching centre and a temple of Goddess Saraswati in Bhojshala.
The dispute pertains to the religious nature of the Archaeological Survey of India-protected monument in Dhar district.
The Hindu community considers Bhojshala to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim side calls the monument Kamal Maula Mosque. A petitioner from the Jain community claims the disputed complex is a medieval Jain temple and gurukul.
After the controversy over the Bhojshala complex erupted, the ASI issued an order on April 7, 2003, 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 rights to worship at the complex.
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Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi of the Indore Bench of the High Court began regular hearings on five petitions and one writ appeal related to the case on April 6 this year.
After hearing all the parties against the backdrop of differing religious beliefs, historical claims, complex legal provisions, and thousands of documents related to the disputed monument, the bench had reserved its decision on May 12.
During the hearing, petitioners from the Hindu, Muslim, and Jain communities presented detailed arguments and sought exclusive worship rights for their communities at the monument.
The ASI, after conducting a scientific survey of the monument, indicated in its over 2,000-page report that a massive structure dating back to the reign of the Parmar kings of Dhar predated the mosque, and that the current disputed structure was built using repurposed temple components.
The Hindu side claimed that coins, sculptures, and inscriptions found by the ASI during its scientific survey prove the complex was originally a temple.
However, the Muslim side argued in court that the ASI’s survey report was “biased” and prepared to support the claims of the Hindu petitioners.
Refuting this, the ASI told the court the scientific survey process was carried out with the help of experts, including three from the Muslim community.
The High Court had ordered the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex on March 11, 2024. The ASI began the survey on March 22 that year and, after a detailed 98-day survey, submitted its report to the High Court on July 15.
Published – May 15, 2026 03:26 pm IST
