While preserving the existing arrangement at the contested Dhar site, the SC directed authorities to identify an adjoining open area where namaz can be offered
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that an open space adjacent to the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district be made available to the Muslim side for offering Friday prayers, seeking to balance competing claims at one of the country’s most sensitive religious dispute sites.
The direction came during proceedings related to worship arrangements at the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex, a site that has remained at the centre of a long-running legal and religious dispute. The court indicated that an appropriate open area near the monument should be identified to facilitate Friday namaz while maintaining the existing framework governing the protected site.
Bhojshala has been a flashpoint for competing claims for decades. Hindus regard the monument as a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while Muslims identify it with the Kamal Maula Mosque. The site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and has been subject to various court-monitored arrangements over the years.
The issue of prayer access has drawn repeated judicial scrutiny, particularly during occasions when Hindu and Muslim religious observances coincide. Earlier directions by courts had sought to ensure separate arrangements and access routes for both communities to prevent friction and maintain public order.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of significant legal proceedings surrounding the Bhojshala complex in recent months. In May, the Madhya Pradesh High Court recognised the site as a temple and set aside a 2003 ASI order that had allowed Friday prayers under a regulated arrangement, a decision that further intensified debate over access and worship rights at the monument.
With the Supreme Court’s latest intervention, authorities are expected to work out the logistics for providing the designated open space while ensuring compliance with security and administrative requirements. The court’s move is aimed at addressing immediate concerns over Friday prayers without entering into the broader dispute over the site’s historical and legal status.
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