Bhojshala temple dispute: SC agrees to hear Muslim side's plea challenging order

UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 13:10 IST

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a batch of appeals filed by the Muslim side challenging a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that recognised the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar district as a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, marking the latest chapter in the decades-old Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque dispute.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohna was told by senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi and advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the Muslim appellants, that the matter needed urgent hearing.

The Chief Justice asked the appellants' counsel to remove defects in the petitions and said the cases would be listed before a bench soon.

On May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. It also set aside a decades-old Archaeological Survey of India order that had allowed the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at the site.

The court had further said that the Centre and the ASI could decide the administration and management of the Bhojshala complex.

The site, a protected monument under the ASI, is claimed by the Hindu community as Bhojshala, a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while the Muslim side describes the 11th-century structure as the Kamal Maula Mosque.

Following the high court ruling, the Muslim side approached the Supreme Court. Hindu parties have also filed caveats in the top court, seeking that no order be passed on any appeal in the Bhojshala complex dispute without hearing them.

The matter now awaits listing in the Supreme Court, where the Muslim side has challenged the high court's ruling, while Hindu parties have sought a hearing before any order is passed.

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