Disputed Bhojshala site a temple, rules Madhya Pradesh HC, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex is essentially Bhojshala, a temple of Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati.
• The ruling was delivered by a Bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi in a 242-page judgement.
• The court has directed the Government of India and the ASI to manage the affairs of the Bhojshala temple.
• The court has granted liberty to the petitioners to request the Central government to bring back the Pratima of Goddess Saraswati from the London Museum.
• Muslims are now prohibited from offering namaz at the site.
• The court quashed an ASI order from April 7, 2003, which had previously restricted Hindu worship while allowing Muslim prayers on Fridays.

Detailed Insights:

• The court determined that the site's historical literature indicates it was a center of Sanskrit learning under Raja Bhoj of the Parmar dynasty, with a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
• The ruling emphasized the continuous, though regulated, Hindu worship at the site.
• The court underscored the constitutional duty to allocate funds for pilgrim amenities, law and order maintenance, and preserving the deity's purity.
• The ASI will have complete control over preservation, conservation, and regulation of religious access to the Bhojshala temple.
• The state government has been directed to consider allocating land to the Muslim community in Dhar district to ensure justice for all parties involved.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): An Indian government agency responsible for archaeological research and the conservation of cultural monuments in the country.
• Parmar Dynasty: An Indian Rajput dynasty that ruled over the Malwa region in west-central India from the 9th to the 14th centuries.
• Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati: The Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom, and learning.