File image of Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque Complex. | Photo credit: PTI
A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court hearing a series of petitions related to the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque case said on Monday (March 16, 2026) that it will visit the disputed site in Dhar before the next hearing on April 2.
The current hearings are on the survey report submitted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in July 2024. The court in January 2026 allowed all parties to file objections or suggestions to the report. Members of the Hindu community believe that it is a temple dedicated to the goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) built by King Bhoj of the Paramara dynasty.
During the hearing in Indore on Monday (March 16, 2026), Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi said, “Parties may submit their respective objections/opinions/suggestions or recommendations on the Archaeological Survey of India report before the next date, if they have not already been filed. The court proposes to visit the site before the next date of hearing.”
The bench said that none of the parties to the case would be present during the site inspection. The court also invited the parties to present their closing arguments during the hearing on April 2. The nearly 2,200-page ASI report says the current structure was built over the ruins of ancient temples using parts of those buildings.
“The present structure can be said to be built on top of a pre-existing basalt structure, the lower part of which still exists as the foundation of the present structure,” the report said, adding that the mosque was preceded by a large structure dating to the reign of the Paramara kings of Dhar between the 10th and 11th centuries.
“The remains of these oldest structures built on the site still exist in-situ and are covered with thick and heavy slabs of basalt used in the construction of the platform. Based on the artifacts found during the investigation, these brick structures can be dated to the Paramara period, i.e. 10th to 11th century AD,” the company said.
While petitioners from the Hindu community expressed satisfaction with the survey report, Muslim party representatives alleged that the ASI ignored their earlier objections.
This place is an 11th century monument protected by ASI. Under a 2003 agreement with the ASI, Hindus can perform puja at the complex every Tuesday, while Muslims offer namaz there every Friday.
Published – 16 March 2026 22:37 IST
