The long-standing dispute over the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Complex in Dhar came up for hearing on Monday before the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore Bench. The court fixed April 2 as the next date of hearing and announced that the judges will conduct a personal inspection of the site before the next round of arguments begins.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthy. In an effort to expedite the proceedings, the bench decided to first hear the principal parties involved in the case. Intervention applicants will be allowed to present their arguments later, in line with a directive from the Supreme Court of India to ensure the case progresses without delay.
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A major focus of the ongoing proceedings is the report submitted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The survey, which began in March 2024 and lasted nearly 100 days, involved experts examining the temple-mosque complex and its surrounding area.
According to the ASI findings, the site appears to have served religious, educational and social purposes across different historical periods. The investigation uncovered inscriptions in multiple languages, including Sanskrit, Prakrit, Arabic and Persian. Some inscriptions reference a play performed in a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and texts believed to have been composed during the time of Raja Bhoj.
During the survey, more than 1,700 artefacts were recovered, including sculptural fragments of Lord Shiva and Vasuki Nag, as well as lotus carvings and floral motifs commonly associated with temple architecture. At the same time, investigators documented 56 Arabic and Persian inscriptions along with Islamic architectural features such as arches and mihrab orientations, indicating the site’s later association with the Sufi traditions of Kamal Maula.
During Monday’s hearing, representatives from the Muslim side raised objections regarding the ASI report. The court had earlier allowed all parties two weeks to submit their responses and suggestions on the survey findings.
With the report now unsealed and shared with stakeholders, the upcoming site inspection by the judges is expected to provide further clarity as the court continues hearing this closely watched heritage dispute.
