SC refuses “Friday Namaz ” at Bhojshala temple
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New Delhi, July14: The Supreme Court, Tuesday, refused to pass an interim order on a plea, seeking permission to offer Namaz on Fridays at Bhojshala temple in dhar district, the top court, however, ordered Madhya Pradesh govt to provide an alternate land for the purpose to offer namaz to the Muslim community.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Muslim parties' appeal challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's May 2026 judgment declaring the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar a temple. Calling the matter "sensitive", the apex court urged both Hindu and Muslim sides to exercise patience and said it was prepared to hear the case on a day-to-day basis to resolve the long-pending dispute.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohan observed that the court had to be "very careful about every expression used" in the case. The Supreme Court also directed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should not carry out any structural changes at the Bhojshala complex without its prior permission.
The Muslim parties have challenged the Madhya Pradesh High Court's May verdict, which set aside the ASI's 2003 arrangement allowing Muslims to offer Friday namaz at the complex. The petitioners have sought restoration of their right to offer prayers, arguing that the site has functioned as the Kamal Maula Mosque for centuries.
In its judgment, the High Court observed that there were indications of a Sanskrit teaching centre and a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati at the site. The Hindu community maintains that Bhojshala is an ancient temple of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati) built by the Parmar ruler Raja Bhoj and has sought exclusive worship rights.
Under the 2003 ASI arrangement, Hindus were permitted to worship at the complex on Tuesdays, while Muslims offered Friday prayers. The Hindu side had challenged this arrangement before the High Court, seeking exclusive rights over the disputed site.
The dispute gained fresh momentum after the High Court, on March 11, 2024, directed the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Bhojshala Temple–Kamal Maula Mosque complex. The ASI began the survey on March 22, 2024, and after a 98-day exercise submitted an over 2,000-page report.
The Muslim parties, however, have disputed the findings, alleging that the ASI report was "biased" and prepared to support the claims made by the Hindu petitioners. The Supreme Court will now examine the validity of the High Court's ruling and the competing claims over the disputed monument.