New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that both Hindu and Muslim devotees can offer prayers at the disputed Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar on January 23.
This year’s Saraswati Puja, which is celebrated on Basant Panchami, is on Friday, the day of customary Namaz prayers offered by Muslims.
The Bhoj Utsav Committee had sought permission to perform Saraswati Puja throughout the day on that day, while the Muslim community sought approval for namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm.
“A fair suggestion was given for namaz in the afternoon between 1 and 3 pm. Exclusive and separate area within the same compound including separate ingress and eggress within the same compound shall be made available so that Namaz can be performed. Similarly, a separate space shall be made available to the Hindu community to hold traditional ceremonies on the occasion of Basant Panchami,” the court said.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi directed that the Muslim community should provide a list of persons for the namaz to the district administration and instructed the administration to make proper law and order arrangements at the site for the offering of prayers.
The CJI-led bench appealed to both sides to show mutual respect and cooperate with the state and district administration to ensure maintenance of law and order.
What is the dispute about
The Bhojshala complex is an 11th-century monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Hindus consider it to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims claim it as the Kamal Maula Mosque.
To resolve the dispute, an arrangement has been in place for the last 23 years under which ASI allows Hindus to worship at the site on Tuesdays, and Muslims permitted to offer prayers on Fridays.
A Saraswati Puja-Friday namaz clash had happened in 2016, leading to protests and clashes in Dhar over prayer timings at the disputed site.
To avoid a repeat, the Supreme Court stepped in this time. However, the apex court referred the original dispute to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, directing its division bench to take up the matter expeditiously.
The Supreme Court disposed of the petition before it, and asked the High Court to hear the original dispute within two weeks.
The three-member bench further directed that the ASI’s sealed report be opened in open court.
The dispute intensified following the high court’s order in March 2024 to carry out a scientific survey to determine the site’s original character. ASI submitted a report in July 2024. Though not official, ASI reportedly found evidence of pre-existing temple structures, including Sanskrit inscriptions and defaced Hindu deities, at the complex.
