Hindu petitioners term Bhojshala ruling victory after 700-year struggle

Indore: Hindu petitioners in the Bhojshala dispute on Friday welcomed the Madhya Pradesh High Court's decision declaring the disputed complex in Dhar as a Saraswati temple, saying the community has achieved a victory after a 700-year struggle.

Ashish Goyal, state vice president of the Hindu Front for Justice which was one of the petitioners before the court, said it was an unforgettable and historic day for the community.

"After the Ram Janmabhoomi case in Ayodhya, the Bhojshala case in Dhar is the second consecutive victory for the Hindu community," he told PTI.


The Public Interest Litigation filed by the organisation claimed that Bhojshala was originally a Saraswati temple built in 1034 by King Bhoj of the Parmar dynasty, which was demolished in 1305 during the invasion of Alauddin Khilji's army and its remains were used in the construction of the mosque at the site.

"The Hindu community had been fighting for the liberation of Bhojshala and restoration of its glory for the last 700 years," Goyal said.

Kuldeep Tiwari, who had filed another PIL in the matter, said, "The Hindu community has had unwavering faith in the Saraswati temple in Bhojshala for centuries. We were confident that one day we would win."

The Indore bench of the High Court, in its ruling on Friday, held that the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex was a Vagdevi (Saraswati) temple.

The court also quashed the Archaeological Survey of India's April 7, 2003 order allowing Muslims to offer prayers at the complex every Friday.

Hindu petitioners outside the High Court premises greeted each other after the verdict, and offered sweets. A man was seen carrying a small replica of the Vagdevi idol.

The Hindu petitioners had claimed that the original idol, once installed in the Bhojshala temple, is currently in the British Museum in London.