The court cancelled the ASI order that allowed Muslims to offer Friday prayers at the disputed premises
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday delivered a landmark verdict in the long-running Bhojshala dispute, declaring that the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Complex in Dhar is fundamentally a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and a historic centre of Sanskrit learning established during the reign of Raja Bhoj.
In a major victory for the Hindu side, the division bench of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi struck down the 2003 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrangement that had permitted Muslims to offer Friday prayers at the complex.
The court observed that historical records, archaeological evidence and literary references clearly pointed towards Bhojshala being a revered temple and educational centre associated with the Parmar dynasty ruler Raja Bhoj.
“We have noted continuity of Hindu worship at the site here has never been extinguished,” the court observed while pronouncing its verdict.
The bench further noted that the character of the disputed structure was established as Bhojshala — a centre of Sanskrit learning and worship of Goddess Saraswati — long before later alterations to the structure.
The High Court ruled that while the Archaeological Survey of India would continue to supervise preservation and maintenance of the monument, the actual religious rights and rituals at the site would remain with the Hindu community.
The court also urged the Madhya Pradesh government to formally pursue efforts to bring back the ancient idol of Goddess Saraswati currently housed in the British Museum in London.
#WATCH | Dhar, Madhya Pradesh: On the Bhojshala case, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain says, “Regarding the Muslim side, the Court has stated that if they wish to obtain alternative land, a representation to the government may be submitted on their behalf and the government will… pic.twitter.com/bVGiiF5X6j
— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2026
The idol is believed to have originally been installed at Bhojshala by Raja Bhoj between 1010 and 1055 AD, when the site flourished as one of India’s most prominent centres of knowledge and learning.
The verdict came after the High Court examined thousands of pages of historical records, ASI findings, inscriptions and archaeological evidence gathered during the scientific survey ordered by the court in March 2024.
Following a 98-day scientific survey, the ASI submitted an extensive report running over 2,000 pages. The report stated that a massive structure dating back to the Parmar period existed at the site before the mosque structure and that several temple components had been reused in the present complex.
The Hindu side had argued that sculptures, inscriptions, pillars and coins recovered during the ASI survey strongly established the temple origins of Bhojshala.
The court’s verdict is being viewed as a historic moment by Hindu organisations and devotees who have long maintained that Bhojshala was originally a grand Saraswati temple and centre of Vedic learning before its character changed over centuries.
Located in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, Bhojshala has remained at the centre of a decades-long legal and religious dispute. Hindus consider it the sacred abode of Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims identify the structure as the Kamal Maula Mosque.
With Friday prayers now barred under the cancelled 2003 arrangement, the judgment marks a significant shift in the legal status of the disputed complex and reinforces the court’s recognition of Bhojshala’s historical and religious identity as a Hindu temple.
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