The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled on April 1, 2026 [2], that the Bhojshala complex in Dhar is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi, also known as Saraswati.
This ruling resolves a long-standing dispute over the religious identity of the site. By declaring the complex a temple, the court has fundamentally changed the legal status of the location and restricted the types of religious activities permitted there.
The court's decision set aside a circular from 2003 [1] that had previously permitted Muslim prayers, or namaz, at the site. The complex has been linked to the Kamal Maula Mosque, but the court determined that the site's primary identity is that of a Hindu temple.
Judges based the verdict on a scientific survey report provided by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) [1]. The court said the report proved the site was historically a Hindu temple and served as a center for Sanskrit learning [1]. This evidence led the court to quash the previous order that allowed the site to be used for Muslim worship.
The Bhojshala complex in Dhar has remained a point of contention for years. The ASI report served as the primary catalyst for the court's decision to prioritize the site's historic identity as a temple over its more recent use as a place of prayer for Muslims [3].
Because the court relied on scientific data from the ASI, the ruling establishes a legal precedent for using archaeological evidence to determine the ownership and religious designation of disputed sites in the region [3].
“The court ruled that the Bhojshala complex in Dhar is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi.”
This verdict signals a judicial trend in India toward using archaeological and scientific evidence to settle historic property disputes. By prioritizing the ASI report over previous administrative orders, the court has shifted the legal framework from one of shared access to one of original identity, which may influence similar disputes over religious sites across the country.
