Key Points

The Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque Complex dispute has now entered under the purview of the Supreme Court, after the Muslim petitioners challenged the recent court verdict given by the Madhya Pradesh High court on 15th May, 2026, that officially identified the site as Bhojshala, the Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati. 

Earlier, an Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) arrangement of 2003 had allowed for both the Hindu and Muslim factions to continue doing their religious activities at the site, with Hindus allowed to worship at the site on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer Namaz on Fridays. However, the new verdict has now prohibited the offering of namaz on Fridays. 

Qazi Moinuddin, the caretaker of the mosque and one of the intervenors of the case, is the petitioner challenging the high court’s verdict. In addition, the Intazamiya Committee Kamal Maula Masjid and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board were among the parties contesting the matter before the High Court.

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The petitioners argued that the verdict given by the high court was in violation of the spirit of the Places of Worship Act, 1991— which froze the status of religious places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947. They further argued that the judgment did not take into consideration archaeological evidence of the site. In response, the opposing Hindu petitioners have already filed a caveat petition seeking that no ex-parte order be passed without hearing from their side.

What is the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque Complex dispute?

Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque Complex, an 11th century historical monument, is the center of one of Madhya Pradesh’s most controversial and sensitive religious dispute matters, with both Hindu and Muslim factions claiming the disputed property as their own. The Hindus claim that Bhojshala is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims identify the structure as the Kamal Maula Mosque.

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In a landmark judgment, Madhya Pradesh issued its verdict confirming the site’s religious identity to be of Bhojshala, a temple associated with Goddess Saraswati which is related to Parmar ruler Raja Bhoj, who is credited with turning the city of Dhar into a centre of Sanskrit learning.

“The disputed area of the Bhojshala complex and Kamal Maula Mosque is held to be a protected monument. The religious character of the disputed area of the Bhojshala complex and Kamal Maula Mosque is held to be Bhojshala with a temple of Goddess Saraswati,” the court stated. 

A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi observed that historical records, archaeological evidence, and literary sources strongly support the Hindu community’s claim over the site. The court noted that the materials clearly establish the existence of an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati at Dhar and affirmed the continuity of Hindu worship at the location over centuries.

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