MP High Court Designates Bhojshala As Vagdevi Temple; Hindu Devotees Flock To Site Amid Tight Security
The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday granted exclusive rights to Hindus to worship while recognizing Bhojshala as a temple of Vagdevi (Saraswati): Reports
BHOPAL: A day after the Madhya Pradesh high court designated the disputed Bhojshala- Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar in Madhya Pradesh as temple of Vagdevi, Hindu devotees flocked to the 11th century shrine to offer prayers.
However, the local administration and the police barred the Bhojshala Sangharsh Samiti, a Hindu body which had waged a legal battle to get the site recognized as temple, and other devotees from installing any image of Vagdevi deity in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Bhojshala, saying that a revised order from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is still awaited.
Amid the decades long tussle between Hindus and Muslims over the competing claims over the site, the ASI had made an arrangement in 2003 allowing the Hindus to worship at the Vagdevi temple on every Tuesday and the Muslims to offer namaz at the mosque, situated on the other side in the complex, on every Friday.
The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday granted exclusive rights to Hindus to worship while recognizing Bhojshala as a temple of Vagdevi (Saraswati).
The ASI has to revise its order accordingly to pave the way for Hindus to worship at the temple every day, police said.
The site is protected by the ASI.
The Hindu devotees earlier used to hang an image of Vagdevi in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple every Tuesday to offer prayers since the idol of Vagdevi has been kept in a British museum for over two centuries.
The high court has also directed the Centre to initiate efforts to restore the idol from the British museum and install it in the temple.
The devotees on Saturday appeared thrilled over recognition of the site as a temple by the high court and were seen reciting Hanuman Chalisa near the temple.
The sanctum sanctorum was also decorated with flowers without the image of the deity.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in and around Dhar town to maintain law and order in the wake of the high court verdict, Dhar additional superintendent of police Vijay Dhabar said.
There was heavy deployment of security forces across the town and surveillance was being done in the town with installation of CCTVs at strategic places and drone cameras to ensure peace and harmony in the area, he said.
Chief minister Mohan Yadav while hailing the high court verdict designating Bhojshala as a temple on Saturday vowed to make determined efforts to bring the idol of Vagdevi from the British museum for installation in the temple.