A day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered that the Bhojshala complex is a temple, Hindu devotees arrived at the complex early on Saturday morning.
Devotees expressed their joy at being able to offer prayers at the site every day.
Previously, due to a 2003 verdict, Hindus were only allowed to offer prayers every Tuesday.
#WATCH | Dhar, MP | A devotee says, "We are delighted that we were able to have darshan and there was no fee unlike previous times. Now the entire Hindu society can conduct pooja everyday... We are elated after yesterday's verdict and all of us were crying and dancing with… https://t.co/NWQ3w9n66r pic.twitter.com/F2d0AYRexb
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2026
On Friday, the High Court declared the Bhojshala and the Kamal Maula Mosque site a temple after a thorough revivew of ASI reports and research on the site.
The decision had backlash from the Muslim communities in the area. They have said that they would approach the Supreme Court on the matter.
Congress leader Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh stated that Bhojshala is a monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and that the Supreme Court should decide on the permission for worship or prayers at such sites. He said that the High Court’s decision would be verified and that the next course of action would be taken only after understanding the legal aspects.
He also raised questions about the ASI's scientific reports. He pointed out that the report did not mention the Goddess Saraswati statue.
AIMIM chief Asauddin Owaisi also opposed the decision. He said that the Bhojshala had been a mosque for the past 700 years and that it is a Waqf property. He also said that the court ignored important documents regarding Waqf registration.
Meanwhile, Hindu communities, organisations and political leaders celebrated the court's decision.
AIMIM Chief & Hyderabad MP Barrister @asadowaisi On the Bhojshala case,"We consider this judgment erroneous because the Court ignored the 1935 Dhar State Gazette, 1985 Waqf registration, and also ignored the Place of Worship Act. pic.twitter.com/vdSvrwG393
— Mohammed Mohsin (@mohsinaddeen96) May 15, 2026
Senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharti, has openly welcomed the High Court's decision. She expressed her joy on social media upon learning of the decision. Bharti wrote, "The High Court has recognised Bhojshala in Dhar as the Goddess of Light, a temple of Goddess Saraswati. All the facts were presented before the court. I am thrilled with this decision. Congratulations."
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, opposed the order saying, "Kamal Maula Mosque was, is, and will remain until the Day of Judgment." He said that the Muslim community will make the decision in the Supreme Court.
