A fresh legal move by Hindu petitioners has widened the Bhojshala dispute in Dhar, days after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the ASI-protected complex a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi, also known as Saraswati.
Two petitioners from the Hindu side have approached the Archaeological Survey of India seeking free entry for devotees, additional excavation within the complex and removal of what they describe as unauthorised Islamic symbols from the premises. The application says worshippers should not be charged even the existing Re 1 entry fee, arguing that access to a temple for darshan and worship should not be subject to a ticket.
The petition has been filed by Ashish Goyal and another member associated with the Hindu side in the litigation. Goyal has argued that further excavation may reveal buried idols of Hanuman and other deities. The plea also seeks steps to identify and preserve any structures or artefacts that, according to the petitioners, may strengthen the claim that the premises formed part of a wider temple and learning complex.
The move follows the High Court’s May 15 judgment, delivered by the Indore bench, which held that the religious character of the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex is that of a Vagdevi temple. The court quashed the ASI’s April 7, 2003 order that had allowed Hindus to worship on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer Friday namaz at the site. That arrangement had governed access to the complex for more than two decades and had often required security restrictions during festivals and overlapping religious observances.
The High Court treated the complex as a protected monument and allowed the Centre and ASI to decide on its administration and management. It also directed that the monument be preserved in line with heritage laws, placing the next phase of action largely in the hands of the ASI. The Hindu side has interpreted the ruling as permitting broader devotional access, while the Muslim side has challenged the judgment before the Supreme Court.
The appeal filed by the mosque’s caretaker, Qazi Moinuddin, contests the May 15 order and seeks intervention by the apex court. Muslim parties have maintained that the structure has long been used as the Kamal Maula Mosque and that the High Court’s reliance on archaeological findings requires scrutiny. Lawyers for the Muslim side have also raised concerns over the end of Friday prayers at the site.
Dhar remained under heavy security on Friday, May 22, as the earlier practice of Friday namaz at the complex did not take place for the first time in 23 years. Police personnel were deployed around the premises and across sensitive parts of the town to prevent any escalation. The administration’s immediate priority has been to maintain public order while the legal process shifts to the Supreme Court.
Bhojshala has been one of Madhya Pradesh’s most sensitive religious heritage disputes. Hindu groups describe it as an 11th-century seat of Sanskrit learning established under Raja Bhoj and dedicated to Saraswati. Muslim groups refer to the same structure as the Kamal Maula Mosque, associated with a Sufi figure. The monument is under ASI protection, and its use has been shaped by a combination of court orders, administrative arrangements and security decisions.
The dispute gained momentum after the High Court ordered a scientific survey by the ASI. The survey report, running into more than 2,000 pages, examined inscriptions, architectural remains, sculptural fragments and structural features. Hindu petitioners cited the findings to support their claim of a pre-existing temple and learning centre. Muslim petitioners questioned aspects of the process and argued that long-standing worship rights could not be displaced on the basis of contested interpretations.
