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Hindu Devotees Celebrate First Friday Prayers at Bhojshala

Following a landmark verdict by the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court recognising the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex as a temple, devotees offered prayers to Goddess Saraswati at the historic site in Dhar on Friday. This marks the first Friday at the complex since a court order barred Friday namaz at the structure.

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Sumit Chaudhary, General Secretary of the Bhoj Utsav Committee, stated that while the Muslim community previously offered 'namaz' at the site between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM on Fridays, a recent court order has changed the routine. He noted that today marks the first Friday after the MP Court judgement, where Hindu devotees will instead offer prayers at the temple complex. "Before the court orders, the Muslim community used to offer 'namaz' here between 1-3 pm on Fridays. After the court order, today is the first Friday, when Hindu devotees will offer prayers here," Chaudhary told ANI.

Expressing the sentiments of the visitors, Ankit Joshi, a devotee at the Bhojshala complex, stated that there is immense enthusiasm among the people for the worship of Goddess Saraswati. He also extended gratitude to those who fought the legal battle in court to secure the recognition of the Bhojshala complex as a temple. "Today, after the court's decision, there is a lot of enthusiasm in the Hindu community. The people of our community have struggled a lot, and because of that, everyone is coming here with great excitement for worship. Today is particularly special because, after a long time, we have been granted the opportunity for uninterrupted worship on a Friday. We are very grateful to all the people who struggled so hard, leading to this victory, which allows us to benefit from uninterrupted worship and prayer," Joshi told ANI.

Another devotee, Jyoti Soni, echoed similar sentiments and expressed happiness for getting the opportunity to offer uninterrupted prayer to Goddess Saraswati at Bhojshala Complex. Highlighting the legal outcome, Soni declared that while truth can be troubled, it can never be defeated. "Today we have come to Bhojshala, and it feels very good. This is the first time we have come to Bhojshala on a Friday for the darshan (viewing) of Mother Vagdevi. We feel very happy. It was a long-drawn-out struggle. Truth can be troubled, but it cannot be defeated," Soni told ANI.

High Court Declares Complex a Temple

Earlier, the Indore Bench of the High Court held that the religious character of the disputed monument was that of Bhojshala, a temple of Goddess Saraswati. "The religious character of the disputed area is held to be Bhojshala with a temple of Goddess Saraswati," the Court said.

The High Court further quashed the 2003 ASI arrangement "to the extent restricting the right of Hindus to worship within the Bhojshala complex and also the order permitting prayer by the Muslim community." The Court directed that the Union Government and the ASI would take decisions regarding administration and management of the Bhojshala temple, while clarifying that the ASI would continue to exercise overall control and supervision over preservation, conservation and regulation of religious practices at the protected monument under the ASI Act, 1958.

On the Hindu communities' plea seeking the return of the idol of Goddess Saraswati allegedly housed in a London museum, the High Court noted that several representations had already been submitted to the Union Government. The High Court also asked the State government to consider granting land to the Muslim side for a mosque in Dhar district, in case the respondent moves an application.

Muslim Side Challenges Verdict in Supreme Court

However, the Muslim side has moved the Supreme Court of India, challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's order declaring the disputed site in Dhar as a temple. The Muslim community has said it is expecting a stay order from the Supreme Court shortly after filing the petition.

The President of the Muslim community said, "We will not offer Namaz at the Bhojshala tomorrow, as the administration has not granted permission." The disputed site in Dhar has long been claimed by Hindus as a temple and by Muslims as a mosque. Pending adjudication, the State authorities had put in place a shared arrangement for religious practices while the site remained under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which had also surveyed the complex. (ANI)