Madhya Pradesh High Court holds Bhojshala complex disputed site to be a temple

The judgment was delivered by a division bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi.

The bench observed that historical records, archaeological evidence, and literary sources collectively establish the site’s religious character as a Saraswati temple associated with Raja Bhoj. The court noted that Raja Bhoj is credited with developing Dhar as a prominent centre of Sanskrit learning.

“We have noted that continuity of Hindu worship at the site has never been extinguished. We record findings that historical literature places establish the character of the disputed area as Bhojshala, a centre of Sanskrit learning associated with Raja Bhoj of the Parmar dynasty,” the court stated, as quoted by NDTV.

While the Hindu side has long maintained that Bhojshala is a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati) built by scholar-king Raja Bhoj, the Muslim community has regarded the site as the historic Kamal Maula Mosque, used for religious practices for centuries.

In addition to recognising the Hindu claim over the monument, the court observed that the Madhya Pradesh government may consider allocating suitable land within Dhar district for the construction of a mosque, should an application be submitted.

According to India Today, the bench further directed that the Archaeological Survey of India would continue to exercise “full supervisory control” over the preservation and conservation of the protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.

Reacting to the verdict, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi compared it to the Babri Masjid judgment. Posting on X, he said, “We hope the Supreme Court will set this right and overturn this order. Glaring similarities with the Babri Masjid judgment.”

BJP leader Amit Malviya welcomed the verdict and wrote on X: " In a landmark verdict in the decades-old Bhojshala dispute, the High Court has declared Dhar Bhojshala to be a temple of Goddess Vagdevi, based on the detailed findings submitted by the ASI."