A day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that Bhojshala in Dhar district was a temple of Goddess Saraswati, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday granted the Hindus an unrestricted access to the monument for worship and other purposes.
As Bhojshala was a centre of learning and research on Sanskrit language, grammar and literature besides being a temple, the Hindu community shall have an unrestricted access to the complex "in connection with the ancient practice of learning and worship of Goddess Saraswati," an official said quoting the ASI order.
In its ruling, the Indore bench of the high court on Friday also quashed the ASI's April 7, 2003 order restricting the rights of Hindus to worship within the Complex on Tuesdays and permitting Friday prayers by the Muslim community.
"In the new arrangement, the ASI has, for the first time, referred to this historic site as "Bhojshala and Sanskrit School established by Raja Bhoj" and has not accepted the previously used reference to "Kamal Maula Mosque." This development is considered extremely significant from historical, cultural, and religious perspectives," said Ashish Goyal of the Hindu Front for Justice, the main petitioner in the case.
The ASI order marks a significant turning point in the age-old dispute, he added.
The HC ruling put special emphasis on the historical character of Bhojshala and the ongoing tradition of Hindu worship there, and hence the ASI's new order grants Hindus the right to worship at the site 365 days a year, said Goyal.
The dispute regarding the religious nature of the 11th century monument arose as the Muslims contended that it was the Kamal Maula Mosque while the Hindu petitioners argued that a temple built by Raja Bhoj of the Parmar dynasty stood there once but it was demolished during Alauddin Khilji's invasion. The Muslim side has announced that it would challenge the high court decision in the Supreme Court.
Hindu devotees, meanwhile, thronged the monument on Saturday to offer 'Saraswati Vandana'.
Gokul Nagar, a young devotee, said, "We have struggled for years to see this day. We are very happy that we will now be able to worship at Bhojshala every day, whereas previously we had that opportunity only on Tuesdays." Another devotee, Sanjay, said he carried a picture of Goddess Saraswati to the monument with the intention to install it there but was stopped by officials, who told him that ASI rules and regulations on this matter were yet to be finalised.
Indore Rural Range Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Manoj Kumar Singh stated that the situation in the area was peaceful. Some 1,200 police personnel have been deployed in Dhar to maintain law and order, he added.
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