Muslims offered Friday prayers on land adjoining the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district under heavy police protection, marking the first congregation near the disputed monument since a High Court ruling halted namaz inside it.More than 150 worshippers assembled on Friday afternoon at the designated open space despite persistent rain. The prayers were conducted peacefully between 1 pm and 3 pm, the period specified by the Supreme Court, as senior administrative and police officers supervised security arrangements.
The site, covering survey numbers 611 and 612 beside the boundary wall of the Kamal Maula dargah, was selected after discussions between district officials and Muslim community representatives. Barricades were installed around the area, access routes were regulated and police personnel were stationed at sensitive points across Dhar.
The arrangements followed a Supreme Court intervention on Thursday directing the Madhya Pradesh government to facilitate Friday prayers on land close to the contested complex. The court had initially identified land bearing survey number 596 but allowed the parties to select another mutually acceptable site if practical difficulties arose.
Community representatives subsequently agreed to use the plots adjoining the dargah. The administration cleared and prepared the ground within hours, installing temporary facilities to protect worshippers from the weather.
Friday’s prayers took place amid objections from some residents who claimed that parts of the allotted land were privately owned. Police were deployed after the residents approached officials and protested against the decision. The administration maintained that the plots were government property and said those challenging the ownership had not produced supporting documents.
The congregation ended without any disturbance, offering relief to officials after weeks of disagreement over where Muslims could pray. District authorities continued to maintain a visible security presence after the worshippers dispersed.
The dispute intensified after the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled on May 15 that the religious character of the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex was that of a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi, or Saraswati. The judgment set aside a 2003 Archaeological Survey of India order that had permitted Hindus to worship at the monument on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer namaz there on Fridays.
Muslim organisations challenged the ruling before the Supreme Court, arguing that prayers had been conducted at the complex for decades and that the High Court decision had disrupted an established arrangement at a protected monument.
On July 14, the Supreme Court declined to suspend the High Court judgment at the interim stage. It nevertheless directed the state and the Archaeological Survey of India to identify an open space adjacent to, or near, the complex where Friday prayers could continue between 1 pm and 3 pm.
The administration initially proposed land near the Chalees Peer shrine at Maliwada, around 1.5 kilometres from Bhojshala. Muslim representatives rejected the location, saying it did not meet the court’s requirement that the site should be close to the monument. Worshippers instead attended prayers at local mosques for two consecutive Fridays.
The Muslim petitioners then returned to the Supreme Court, contending that the proposed location was too distant. The court asked the Centre and the state government to implement its direction in “letter and spirit” and explore a site closer to Bhojshala.
The matter was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi represented the Muslim petitioners, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the Centre and the state.
Bhojshala is an Archaeological Survey of India-protected monument associated by Hindus with Raja Bhoja and the worship of Goddess Saraswati. Muslims identify the structure as the Kamal Maula mosque and maintain that it has long been used for Friday prayers.
India demands scrutiny of Pakistan’s Kashmir crackdown 