The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore Bench declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex a Hindu temple on Friday [1].
The ruling settles a long-standing dispute over the religious identity of the site in the Dhar district. By removing the legal basis for shared use, the decision alters the administration of the complex and restricts the religious activities permitted within its boundaries.
A bench of two judges [1] upheld the right of Hindus to worship at the site. The court quashed a circular from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that had previously permitted Muslim prayers, known as namaz, at the complex [1, 2].
In its decision, the court cited historical records that described the Bhojshala as a center of Sanskrit learning [1, 2]. These records supported the conclusion that the complex is a temple, rather than a mosque or a shared site.
"The court observed that there was uninterrupted continuity of Hindu worship at the disputed complex," the bench said [1].
The court's findings focused on the continuity of religious practice and the architectural and historical evidence presented during the proceedings. The ruling effectively ends the previous arrangement where the ASI managed the site with specific provisions for both Hindu and Muslim worshippers.
“The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore Bench declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex a Hindu temple”
This verdict represents a significant legal shift in the management of the Bhojshala complex, moving it from a shared-access site to one exclusively recognized as a Hindu temple. By prioritizing historical records of Sanskrit learning and continuity of worship over the ASI's administrative circulars, the court has established a legal precedent for the site's identity that may influence other communal property disputes in the region.
