In a landmark verdict on May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared that the Bhojshala complex in the town of Dhar is a temple dedicated to Devi Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of wisdom, not an Islamic site.
The division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi allowed writ petitions by the Hindu Front for Justice and others, affirming the site’s historical character as a centre of Sanskrit learning established by Raja Bhoj in the 11th century.
The court cited continuity of Hindu worship, albeit with regulations and restrictions, historical literature of the Bhojashala complex, archaeological evidence, and the recent ASI scientific survey showing temple remains incorporated into the structure.
The division bench quashed the Archaeological Survey of India’s 2003 order that restricted Hindu worship rights and permitted Muslim namaz on Fridays.
The High Court has stated that to acknowledge the rights of the Muslim community, an alternate land should be provided in the Dhar district, which the state should do as per law. The ASI will retain overall administration of the protected monument, with directions to the Central government and ASI for proper management and preservation of the temple and the Sanskrit heritage.
On March 11, 2024, the High Court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific investigation, survey, and excavation at the Bhojshala complex. The ASI submitted a 2,189-page survey report to the High Court on July 15, 2024. The survey report revealed that the existing structure was made from the parts of pre-existing temples, and it was modified and converted into a mosque. It notes that inscriptions dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries in multiple languages and scripts, including Sanskrit, Prakrit, local dialects in Nagari script, and Arabic and Persian, were discovered during the investigation.
A detailed article on the Hindu artefacts found in the site, how the Hindu temple was razed by Islamic rulers and a history of the conflict can be read here.
