A team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) reached Bhojshala Complex located in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar on Thursday to continue the survey which began on March 22 following the direction of the High Court. For Hindus, the Bhojshala Complex is a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while for Muslims, it is the site of the Kamal Maula mosque. According to an arrangement in 2003, Hindus perform puja at the complex on every Tuesday from sunrise to sunset while Muslims offer namaz on every Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm.
The ASI team also started excavation inside the Bhojshala complex as a part of the survey. Earlier last week, Ashish Goyal, a worker from the Hindu Front for Justice who was one of the petitioners in the case, said, “They are doing the survey efficiently throughout the day using carbon dating, GPS technology, and GPR technology. They conducted the survey inside as well as outside throughout the 50-metre stretch, as instructed by the court.”
Stressing the Hindu side’s claim on the Bhojshala complex, Goyal said, “This is Ma Saraswati’s mandir at Bhojshala. The survey is being conducted so that those who do not understand this will be convinced after this survey.” Expressing hope of a positive outcome from the ASI survey, Goyal said, “The ASI is conducting the survey scientifically. We are hopeful that we will get a positive outcome. The ASI is working as per the directions of the court.”
Meanwhile, Abdul Samad, the petitioner for the Muslim side, said he disagreed with the exercise as directed by the high court. “This survey was not necessary as a similar exercise had been conducted previously and the report is in the public domain. We are against this new survey, as several new things have started here since the last survey. There have been some changes to the monument as well. We have already voiced our misgivings over these changes,” the petitioner told ANI.
“Seeing such changes and new activities in the complex, we moved the High Court urging that if they allow such movement (of people from the Hindu community) inside the monument, they should lay down proper guidelines on things that could be carried inside,” he added. Samad said they have already moved the Supreme Court, challenging the high court’s direction of a new survey and the submission of the report by the next date of hearing on April 1.
Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court allowed the survey by the ASI at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex situated in the Dhar district and sought its report within six weeks. The next hearing into the matter is scheduled on April 29.
