ASI Reveals Bhojshala Mosque Built on Paramara-Era Temple Remains
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has revealed that the mosque within the Bhojshala complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, was constructed using elements from an older temple. The temple which claimed to be existed under the mosque dated back to the Paramara period, between the 10th and 11th centuries. This conclusion was presented to the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday.
The ASI’s findings are detailed in a 151-page report, which was compiled following a court order in March. The investigation was prompted by a petition from the Hindu Front for Justice, challenging the practice of Namaz at the site, intensifying the long-standing Hindu-Muslim dispute in the area.
According to the report, the ASI discovered 95 sculptures, sculptural fragments, and architectural components with detailed carvings during their examination. The mosque’s current structure includes carved windows, pillars, and beams from the original temple, featuring images of four-armed deities, various Hindu gods and goddesses, animals, and mythical figures.
The report highlighted that these elements are visible in various parts of the mosque, including pillars and pilasters in the western and eastern colonnades, and the lintel in the western colonnade. The ASI noted that some figures, particularly on pillars in the western colonnade, were well-preserved.
“From the art and architecture of decorated pillars and pilasters, it can be said that they were part of earlier temples and were reused while making colonnades of the mosque over the high platform of basalt. A pillar decorated in niches in all four directions depicts mutilated images of deities. Another base of a pillar also depicts a deity image in a niche. Standing images on two pilasters have been chopped off and are beyond recognition,” the ASI report stated.
The 11th-century Bhojshala complex, declared a protected monument in 1951, is considered by Hindus to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims regard it as the Kamal Maula Mosque. Since April 2003, an arrangement by the ASI allows Hindus to perform puja on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer Namaz on Fridays.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered the ASI survey, following the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath dispute in Varanasi. The initial order, issued on March 11, required the ASI to complete the survey within six weeks. The deadline was later extended to 12 weeks at the ASI’s request.
In response to an appeal from the Muslim community, the Supreme Court on April 1 allowed the survey to proceed but prohibited the ASI from conducting any physical excavation that might alter the site’s character.
