In a monumental victory for the Hindu community and a definitive restoration of historical truth, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled on Friday, May 15, 2026, that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar is inherently a Hindu temple. The court legally recognized the site as a Bhojshala dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Maa Saraswati), originally established in 1034 AD by the legendary Raja Bhoj of the Paramara dynasty as a grand center for Sanskrit learning.
The division bench, comprising Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi, completely rejected claims that the structure was an exclusive mosque, calling the centuries of desecration a “continued trauma” for Hindu worshippers that has finally been rectified in the post-constitutional era.
The Irrefutable Proofs
The landmark judgment was backed by a massive repository of historical, epigraphic, and modern scientific evidence that left no room for ambiguity.
During the extensive 2024 ASI scientific survey and excavation, experts uncovered a pre-existing 10th–11th century temple plinth underneath the current structure. The team discovered 94 classical sculptures and fragments depicting Hindu deities such as Vishnu and Narasimha, alongside 106 temple-style pillars and traditional carvings like Havan Kunds, Shikhar motifs, and Kirtimukhas. Furthermore, the walls themselves contain embedded Sanskrit grammatical charts (Sarpabandha inscriptions) and Prakrit verses praising the Paramara kings, features entirely incompatible with original Islamic architecture.
The final nail in the coffin for the opposing side came from official state revenue records. The court highlighted that up until 1935–1936, the state’s revenue documents consistently registered the premises exclusively as “Bhojshala & Temple,” with absolutely no mention of a “Jama Masjid.”
Dismantling the Historical Misnomer
The High Court thoroughly debunked the legal and historical claims surrounding the “Kamal Maula Mosque” label, proving that the property could never have been lawfully treated as Waqf land. Under Hindu law, once a temple undergoes Pran Pratishtha, the land vests perpetually in the deity, and subsequent damage or the reuse of its materials by invaders cannot extinguish those divine rights.
Historical literature shows that Hazrat Kamaluddin Chishti actually died and was buried in Ahmedabad in 1310 AD. The maqbara bearing his name in Dhar was built more than 200 years later, in 1514 AD, by Mahmood Shah Khilji on a completely separate plot of land outside the main temple core. The court ruled that the presence of later additions and Islamic graves near the complex could not erase or alter the fundamental, eternal character of the pre-existing Saraswati temple.
Restoring Unbroken Rights
By quashing the restrictive April 7, 2003 ASI order, which had unfairly limited Hindu pooja to Tuesdays and Basant Panchami while permitting Friday prayers for Muslims, the High Court has fully restored the fundamental right of Hindus to perform daily pooja, darshan, and rituals without any administrative hurdles.
The court noted that despite 700 years of invasions and structural defacement, the continuity of Hindu reverence and quiet worship at the site never truly broke. Invoking Articles 25 and 29 of the Constitution, the bench asserted the imperative need to correct pre-independence wrongs and heal historical wounds.
The Road Ahead for the Temple
This verdict marks the beginning of a glorious new chapter for the heritage site. The court has directed the government to officially establish a dedicated trust under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, to oversee the temple’s daily administration and revive its legacy as a center for Sanskrit education. Additionally, the mandate sets into motion official efforts to repatriate the sacred Saraswati (Vagdevi) idol from the British Museum back to its rightful home in Dhar.
With the law firmly backing scientific and historical truth, the reclamation of Bhojshala stands as a crowning achievement for Sanatana Dharma, ensuring that the sacred chants of Vedic learning will once again echo freely through its corridors.