Muslim side to perform Namaaz near Bhojshala after the Supreme Court ordered interim space for Friday Namaaz in an open space adjacent to the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex, in Dhar. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Supreme Court on Friday (July 24, 2026) agreed to hear on July 29, 2026, an application filed by the Muslim petitioners alleging that the alternative site identified by the Madhya Pradesh government for offering Friday namaz was located too far from the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar.The application arises from the Supreme Court’s July 14 order directing the State authorities to identify an open space near the disputed complex where members of the Muslim community could offer Friday namaz between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. as an interim arrangement.Mentioning the application on Friday, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim petitioners, submitted that the site eventually identified by the authorities was more than one km from the disputed complex, making it inconvenient for worshippers. “Two Friday prayers have already been missed. The allocated site is 1.3 km away,” he said.Appearing for the State, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta disputed the claim, submitting that the site was only 900 metres away.A Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant then said the application would be listed for hearing on Wednesday (July 29, 2026).Earlier, Mr. Mehta had told the court that he would persuade the administration to identify a nearer spot after the Bench told the law officer that its July 14 order should be followed in “letter and spirit”.The dispute concerns the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district. The Hindu community considers Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while the Muslim side calls the 11th-century monument the Kamal Maula Mosque. Muslims had been offering Friday prayers at the site. The disputed complex is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).On July 14, the top court refrained from restoring status quo ante after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared that the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and barred Friday namaz at the site. The court had reasoned that it did not want to “create tension” in a “very sensitive” issue.The Bench further prohibited the ASI from allowing any structural alterations to be made to the disputed structure without the prior permission of the top court. The court issued formal notice to the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Union government.“Let us not pass any order which creates tension. We are ready to hear the case on a day-to-day basis and resolve the issue. We request both sides to have patience. It is only a matter of a few days,” Chief Justice Kant had assured the Muslim appellants.On May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar district was a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. It had simultaneously quashed a decades-old ASI order that had allowed Muslims community to offer Friday prayers at the site. The High Court had also said that the Centre and the ASI could decide on the Bhojshala complex’s administration and management. Published - July 24, 2026 04:34 pm IST
