ASI submits survey report on Bhojshala complex to Madhya Pradesh High Court; hearing on July 22

Bhopal: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday submitted its ‘scientific survey’ report on the disputed medieval-era Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex to the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

After submitting the more than 2,000-page report to the high court’s registry, ASI’s counsel Himanshu Joshi said, “The hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 22."

On July 4, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had given two weeks to the ASI to submit its final report on the disputed site in Dhar district.

The ASI was supposed to submit its findings to the court on July 2. However, it had sought four more weeks for data compiling.

On July 2, the ASI told the court that the study of the data compiled during the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)-Geographic Information System (GIS) survey of the site by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, was going on.

While the Hindus consider Bhojshala, an ASI-protected 11th century monument, to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), the Muslim community calls it Kamal Maula Mosque.

Following an arrangement made by the ASI in 2003, Hindus perform puja at the Bhojshala premises on Tuesdays, while the Muslims offer namaz in the complex on Fridays.

On March 11, the high court granted permission for a ‘scientific survey’ of the complex by the ASI. On April 29, the deadline was extended by eight weeks, which expired on June 27.

Following the court’s direction, the ASI carried out the survey to ascertain the "true character, nature and form" of the disputed site in the wake of both the Hindus and Muslims staking claim on it.

During the survey, more than 1,700 artifacts were uncovered, including numerous statues, structures, pillars, walls, and murals. The ASI also carried out a ‘carbon dating’ survey of the stones/pillars found during the excavation of the complex premises.