No Friday namaz at Bhojshala for first time in 23 years, Dhar turns into fortress

INDORE/MHOW: For the first time in 23 years, namaz will not be offered at Bhojshala in MP’s Dhar this Friday following a high court order on May 15 that declared the centuries-old monument a Saraswati temple and centre of Sanskrit learning, effectively ending the long-standing arrangement that had divided the site for worship between two communities. Amid a strong undercurrent of tension, the administration is leaving nothing to chance, and heavy security has been deployed across the city.

The arrangement dated back to a 2003 Archaeological Survey of India order, which allotted Tuesdays to Hindus for prayers and Fridays to Muslims for namaz, at the complex. The HC struck down that order, while directing govt to consider applications, if any, for allotting suitable land elsewhere for the construction of a mosque.

Hindu organisations have been celebrating the ruling for nearly a week and plan to mark this Friday with significant fanfare. Bhoj Utsav Samiti convenor Ashok Jain announced that a Maha Aarti would be performed at the complex on Friday. “Devotees will assemble at Dhanmandi Chowk and proceed in a peaceful procession to the temple, where traditional rituals and a grand aarti will be performed,” he said.

With communal tensions simmering, Dhar district collector Rajiv Ranjan Meena Wednesday called a peace meeting and issued a firm advisory. “The high court directives will be followed in totality. Any activity not in accordance with those directives — including unauthorised religious events — will be treated as unlawful, and action will be taken against those responsible,” he said. He also warned residents to refrain from posting inflammatory content on social media, stating that such activity was being actively monitored.

SP Sachin Sharma said adequate police personnel had been deployed throughout Dhar, with particular focus on the Bhojshala complex and surrounding sensitive areas.

Meanwhile, Hindu Front for Justice — one of the original petitioners in the case — has filed an application with ASI seeking free entry for devotees at Bhojshala. Its district president Ashish Goyal argued that collecting even the existing Re 1 entry fee constituted “disobedience” of HC order.