Basant Panchami Puja Begins at Bhojshala in Dhar Under Tight Security
23 Jan 2026 8:31 AM IST23 Jan 2026 8:31 AM IST
Supreme Court Orders Time-Sharing at Bhojshala; 8,000 Security Personnel Deployed to Ensure Peace
Dhar: Police personnel stand guard during preparations for Saraswati Puja at the disputed Bhojshala complex, revered as Saraswati temple, on the eve of Basant Panchami, in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. The site sees annual worship of Goddess Saraswati despite ASI restrictions, highlighting ongoing cultural and legal tensions over the medieval monument shared for Hindu prayers and Muslim namaz. (PTI Photo)
Dhar: The Basant Panchami puja began on the disputed site of the 11th-century Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district amid tight security in the early hours of Friday.With Basant Panchami falling on a Friday this year, both Hindu and Muslim communities had staked claims for worshipping at the site. However, the Supreme Court on Thursday gave a specific time-sharing formula to avoid communal friction.
The historic site was adorned with saffron flags and flowers, and devotees started arriving for darshan from sunrise.
Devotees, along with members of the Basantotsav Samiti, installed the idol of Goddess Saraswati, also known as Maa Vagdevi, performed the aarti and offered oblations in the 'havan kund', marking the beginning of the puja.
A heavy posse of police and paramilitary personnel was deployed in Dhar city and district.
As many as 8,000 security personnel, including district police, Rapid Action Force, CRPF, MP Armed Force, SRPF and women police units, have been deployed around the site, and the administration is also relying on drones and CCTV cameras to ensure that no untoward incident occurs.
A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant on Thursday ruled that religious activities will be split on Friday, and the Hindu community will be permitted to perform prayers from sunrise to sunset, while the Muslim community will be allowed to offer namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm.
( Source : PTI )
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