A woman decorates the floor as people gather to pray inside the Bhojshala complex following a Madhya Pradesh high court verdict declaring the site a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) in Dhar. | Photo credit: PTI
Hindu groups held services at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar on Saturday (May 16, 2026) with several Hindu devotees thronging the historic site, a day after the Supreme Court declared it a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Saraswati and a Sanskrit learning centre.
Members of the Hindu Justice Front, which represented the Hindu party in the Supreme Court, Bhoj Utsav Samiti, as well as several local residents, performed aarti at the Bhojshala complex, even as the situation in Dhar town and adjoining areas remained calm amid tight security.
Meanwhile, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) acknowledged the Supreme Court’s verdict and issued instructions to implement it.
In an order dated May 16, the ASI said the Hindu community “shall have unrestricted access to the Bhojshala complex in connection with the ancient practice of learning and worshiping Goddess Saraswati”.
The order also stated that the time of entry for visitors and devotees and permissible activities related to learning and worship will be determined by the Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Bhopal, in consultation with the Dhar District Administration, while ensuring the preservation and protection of the monument as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
“The Bhojshala complex will continue to be a protected monument under the AMASR Act, 1958. This order supersedes all previous orders issued in this regard,” said the order issued by AMV Subramanyam, Director, Monument 1, ASI.
While Hindu groups and leaders called the Supreme Court verdict “historic and the result of a 700-year struggle”, Muslim representatives called it “one-sided” and said they would challenge it in the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court will move”
Abdul Samad, president of Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society, which represented the Muslim party in the court, said, “The court’s decision is completely one-sided. We will approach the Supreme Court in this matter. In fact, the Hindu party has already reached the Supreme Court (with a reservation) before us, which itself clearly shows that they also had doubts about the judgment and the intention of the High Court.”
Mr. Samad also raised questions about members of the Hindu community performing worship at the site and said the Supreme Court had asked the government to make arrangements for the same.
“Nowhere in this order, even remotely, is it written (in the verdict) that the ASI or the Hindu party is allowed to conduct daily worship at the site. The ASI is acting in direct violation of the established rules. It is also not stated that the offering of namaz should be stopped and daily worship should begin,” he told reporters.
The petitioner from the Hindu party filed a plea in the Supreme Court urging that no appeal be granted against the Supreme Court verdict without hearing his side.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Indore (Rural), Manoj Kumar Singh, said that the deployment of over 1,200 personnel would remain in place for the next few days and that the administration and police would assess the situation on the ground.
“There has been no incident or confrontation between the two sides so far. We have held talks with representatives of both sides and are keeping strict vigil,” he said.
In a long-awaited verdict on May 15, a division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Indore declared the long-disputed site of the Bhojshala complex and the Kamal Maula Mosque as Bhojshala with a temple of goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) and a center of Sanskrit learning associated with the Raja B. Dynasty.
While rejecting the Muslim party’s contention, the court also quashed the 2003 ASI order that allowed the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at the site, while restricting the right of Hindus to worship at the Bhojshala complex on Tuesdays and Basant Panchami.
Published – 16 May 2026 21:54 IST
