MP High Court to Inspect Bhojshala Complex Site

A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court announced on March 16, 2026, that it would conduct an on-site inspection of the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar district before the next hearing scheduled for April 2, directing that no involved parties be present during the visit.

The bench, comprising Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi, made the decision during a hearing in Indore on petitions concerning the site's religious character. The complex, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as an 11th-century monument, has long been contested between Hindu and Muslim communities. Hindus maintain it is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi Saraswati, constructed during the 10th to 11th century reign of Paramara kings in Dhar. Muslims identify it as the Kamal Maula Mosque, where they have offered prayers for centuries.

The court's action follows the submission of a comprehensive ASI survey report in July 2024, prompted by earlier high court orders for a scientific examination using noninvasive techniques. Spanning over 2,200 pages across multiple volumes, the report concluded that the existing structure was built atop ruins of earlier...