The long-standing Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque debate has reached legal crossroads following the release of a 2,189-page Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report. The latest ASI findings, submitted to the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court, suggest that the existing structure was built using the remains of ancient temples. The development has snowballed both legal arguments and deep-seated religious sentiments in Dhar.

Bhojshala is traditionally venerated by Hindus as a temple of Goddess Vagdevi, built by Raja Bhoj in the 11th century. Muslims recognise the site as the Kamal Maula Mosque, named after a 13th-century Sufi saint.

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Bhojshala: Will ASI Report Change Perceptions?

Since 2003, a regulated arrangement has allowed Hindus to pray on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer namaz on Fridays, but recent petitions sought a scientific survey to determine the monument's original character.

The ASI's 98-day survey, which utilised ground-penetrating radar and excavation, found that the mosque structure was constructed using architectural remains, inscriptions, and sculptures from older temple structures.

Debates Erupt Amid ASI Report Disclosure

The latest report noted that the current building was assembled centuries later without strict attention to symmetry or design, signaling it was composed of pre-existing ruins. Devotees have also stressed on the presence of traditional temple motifs like bells, sea shells, and disfigured idols of Lord Ganesha and Hanuman within the corridors as evidence of the site's origins.

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While Hindu groups have responded by calling for the construction of a Vagdevi temple and the return of the original idol from the British Museum, Muslim petitioners have rejected the findings as a misdirection. They argue that stones used were merely rubble from a destroyed palace rather than a temple. The community also claimed that a 1903 British-era survey already classified the site as a mosque.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has now directed all stakeholders to file their objections within two weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for March 16, 2026.