Court Orders ASI to Conduct Survey of Disputed Religious Site in MP

A division bench of the HC at Indore comprising Justices S.A. Dharmadhikari and Devnarayan Mishra observed that the nature and character of the 11th century monument needs to be ‘demystified and freed from the shackles of confusion’.

While Hindus view Bhojshala, an ASI-protected site, to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), Muslims consider it Kamal Maula’s mosque.

The ASI had on April 17, 2003 attempted to resolve the dispute between the two communities and as per the arrangement Hindus were allowed to worship in Bhojshala temple every Tuesday, whereas Muslims were permitted to offer namaz at Kamal Maula Mosque every Friday.

“This court has drawn only one conclusion that Constitutional as well as statutory obligations of the ASI to have a scientific survey, study convened at the earliest of Bhojshala Temple and Kamal Maula Mosque,” observed the division bench.

The court’s directive was in response to a petition filed by Hindu Front for Justice. The court directed ASI to “open the sealed/ locked rooms, halls of the whole complex and prepare a complete inventory of each and every artefact, idol, deity or any structure and subject them to scientific investigation and carbon dating” to ascertain their age.

“Every government has the constitutional obligation to ensure preservation and protection of not only the ancient monuments and structures including temples of archaeological and historical importance, but also sanctum sanctorum as well as the deity of spiritual importance”, the division bench observed.