The legal battle surrounding the historic Bhojshala Mandir in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district has now reached the Supreme Court. The Muslim side has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the recent Madhya Pradesh High Court order that declared the religious character of the site as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
The petition has reportedly been filed by Quazi Moinuddin, who identified himself as the caretaker of the Kamal Maula mosque located within the Bhojshala premises. The move comes just days after the High Court quashed the 2003 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrangement that had allowed Muslims to offer namaz at the site on Fridays while Hindus worshipped on other days.
According to reports, the Muslim side expressed hope that the Supreme Court would stay the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s ruling. They argued that namaz had been offered at the site for years and claimed the structure should continue to be recognised as a mosque.
Abdul Samad, president of the Kamal Maulana Welfare Society, said the Muslim side would present its arguments before the apex court while continuing to follow judicial directions. He stated that the community would comply with any restrictions imposed by the courts and administration regarding prayers at the site.
Samad also claimed that permission for namaz had earlier been sought from the administration but was later cancelled due to law and order concerns. Despite that, he maintained that members of the Muslim community had historically visited the site for prayers.
The controversy intensified after a division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi of the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the religious character of the disputed structure was that of Bhojshala, a temple of Goddess Saraswati. The court struck down the ASI’s 2003 order to the extent that it restricted Hindu worship and simultaneously permitted Muslim prayers at the site.
In its observations, the High Court clearly stated that the religious character of the disputed monument is Bhojshala and recognised it as a Saraswati temple. The verdict was seen as a major development in one of Madhya Pradesh’s long-running religious disputes.
The Bhojshala Mandir issue has remained a sensitive and politically significant matter for decades. Hindu organisations have consistently maintained that the site is an ancient temple of Goddess Saraswati and have demanded unrestricted worship rights. The Muslim side, however, has continued to refer to the structure as the Kamal Maula mosque.
With the matter now before the Supreme Court, the dispute is set to enter another crucial legal phase. The apex court’s decision on whether to grant interim relief or stay the High Court verdict could shape the future course of the Bhojshala Mandir case.
