Hindu devotees performed a Hawan ceremony at the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex after a court declared the site a temple [1, 2].
The ruling changes the legal status of the disputed site in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, by granting Hindus the right to worship there [1, 2]. This decision removes long-standing restrictions that governed the shared use of the complex between different faith groups.
The Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued the verdict, officially recognizing the complex as a temple [1, 2]. Following the announcement, devotees gathered at the site to offer prayers and conduct the ritual fire ceremony [1, 2].
This legal shift occurred because the High Court quashed a 2003 arrangement established by the Archaeological Survey of India [1]. That previous agreement had limited Hindu worship to Tuesdays and permitted Friday prayers for Muslims [1]. By striking down this arrangement, the court removed the scheduled limitations on how the site is used.
The complex has been a point of contention for years, reflecting broader disputes over historical sites in the region [1, 2]. The recent verdict provides a legal mandate for the site's status as a temple, effectively overriding the administrative compromise that had been in place for more than two decades [1].
“The Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex a temple.”
The ruling represents a significant legal victory for Hindu claimants by dismantling a two-decade-old administrative compromise. By designating the site as a temple and removing the scheduled worship restrictions, the court has shifted the site's governance from a shared-access model to one of exclusive religious recognition.
