Supreme Court Allows Both Hindus & Muslims To Offer Basant Panchami & Jumma Prayers At Disputed Bhojshala

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court has allowed both-- Hindus and Muslims to offer prayers at the disputed Bhoj Shala-Kamal Maula complex on January 23. It ordered to ensure that Basant Panchami rituals and Friday's Jumma prayers must be held peacefully on the premises.

The order mentioned timings for the groups so to ensure peaceful celebration. Members of the Hindu community were granted permission to pray from sunrise to sunset on the occasion of Basant Panchami, which falls on Friday this year, while members of the Muslim community can offer their Friday namaaz from 1 pm to 3 pm.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Vipul Pancholi and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a plea filed by Hindu Front for Justice seeking 'exclusive' access to Bhojshala on Basant Panchami to worship goddess Saraswati.

The bench, via its order, appealed to "both sides to observe mutual respect and cooperate with the state and district administration for maintenance of law and order."

Notably, Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society, Dhar, filed a Special Leave Petition in 2024, challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's interim order directing the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey at the Bhojshala Temple cum Kamal Maula Mosque complex.

The Supreme Court had passed an interim order in April 2024 and allowed the survey to continue but warned no physical excavation should be done so as to change the character of the structure.

Bhojshala Dispute

Bhojshala is an 11th-century monument located in the Dhar district of western Madhya Pradesh. The property is disputed, as Hindus claim it has always been a Saraswati Temple, while Muslims observe it as the Kamal Maula Mosque.

Since Hindus worship goddess Saraswati on Basant Panchami, they sought permission for full-day rituals on the premises on Friday. The Supreme Court, however, allowed both the groups to perform prayers, specifying timing. It further appealed to the devotees to maintain harmony.