Existing structure at M.P.’s Bhojshala complex built using temple remains: ASI

Last Updated17/07/2024

The existing structure at the Bhojshala complex in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh was constructed using the remains of a temple that existed earlier at the site, said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its scientific survey report, which was submitted to the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The court had in March asked the ASI to undertake a scientific survey of the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex.
The ASI said that based on the survey, conducted over a period of three months using technologies such as ground-penetrating radar and from archaeological remains studied during the investigation, the pre-existing structure “can be dated to the Paramara [dynasty] period”.
“Art and architecture of the pillars and pilasters in colonnades suggest that they were originally part of a temple.
The survey found images of Hindu deities such as Ganesha, Brahma with his consorts, Narasimha, Bhairava and other human and animal figures in the existing structure.
“As human and animal figures are not permitted in mosques, at many places, such images have been chiselled out or defaced.
The ASI report also said that inscriptions in Sanskrit and Prakrit were found at the site.
The report quoted an inscription on the gateway to the tomb of Abdullah Shah Changal at Dhar which had said that the temple “was violently converted” into a mosque.

Reacting to the ASI’s report, the Hindu petitioners expressed confidence in their case while the Muslim petitioners alleged violations by the surveying team.
The petitioners from the Muslim side, alleged various violations during the survey on the part of the ASI team.
The ASI has only submitted a written report of 2,000 pages. Our demand is that they should also submit the video evidence recorded during the survey.
That will show that they have violated the Supreme Court guidelines and damaged things related to the Muslim community.
The Hindu Front for Justice, a petitioner from the Hindu side, said he was confident that based on the ASI survey, the site would be declared a temple and the Hindu community would be given the right to worship there on all days. We are very happy about it.