The High Court is expected to hear the petition filed on June 29 by Delhi-based activist Salek Chand Jain this week, as confirmed by his lawyer Manohar Singh Chauhan on Monday.
Madhya Pradesh: Today (1st July): A social activist has filed a writ petition in the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court, seeking the “right to worship” for members of the Jain community in the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar, which is currently disputed.
The petition claims that the complex historically served as a Jain Gurukul and temple where an idol of Goddess Ambika was installed.
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The High Court is expected to hear the petition filed on June 29 by Delhi-based activist Salek Chand Jain this week, as confirmed by his lawyer Manohar Singh Chauhan on Monday.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) preparing to present a survey report on the 11th-century Bhojshala complex to the High Court, following a court order. The site is contested between Hindus, who believe it to be the temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), and Muslims, who refer to it as the Kamal Maula Mosque.
Since April 7, 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India has acknowledged the significance of the complex to both communities. Under a special arrangement, Hindus can conduct puja on Tuesdays, while Muslims are granted permission to offer namaz on Fridays. This harmonious coexistence of religious rituals highlights the complex’s role as a symbol of India’s rich cultural and religious diversity.
The ASI was directed by the HC on March 11 to conduct a ‘scientific survey’ of the medieval-era monument, in response to a petition from an organization called the ‘Hindu Front for Justice’.
READ ALSO: ASI Initiates Court-Ordered Survey of Disputed Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque in MP
The activist’s petition asserts that the Bhojshala complex housed a Jain Gurukul and temple where Jain monks and scholars taught and translated scriptures in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and other languages. Therefore, the petition argues that members of the Jain community should have the right to worship at this site.
It also claims that the idol in the complex, referred to by Hindus as Goddess Vagdevi, is actually the idol of Jain Goddess Ambika installed by King Bhoj of Dhar in 1034 AD. The petition requests the return of this idol, currently housed in a London museum, to India for reinstallation in the Bhojshala complex.
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Additionally, the petition calls for the central Government to use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the Bhojshala complex, its idols, inscriptions, and artifacts. The ASI commenced its survey of the disputed complex on March 22 as per court orders, with the deadline to submit the survey report set for July 2.
