ASI survey of 'Bhojshala/ Kamal Maula Mosque' complex enters sixth day

After the direction of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the ASI survey continued for the sixth day at the contentious Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Wednesday.

Dhar (Madhya Pradesh):The court-mandated Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey continued for the sixth day at the contentious Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Wednesday. Ashish Goyal and Gopal Sharma representing the Hindu community and a leader of the Muslim community, Abdul Samad, were present with the ASI team during the survey.

Goyal told reporters that the ASI team is engaged in the digging of the site within 50 meters of the complex. On March 11, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the ASI to carry out within six weeks a 'scientific survey' of the Bhojshala complex, a medieval-era monument that Hindus believe is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) and the Muslim community calls Kamal Maula Mosque.

Acting on the court directives, the ASI team, accompanied by senior police and administrative officials, on March 22 began its survey at the disputed complex in the tribal-dominated Dhar district. As per an ASI order of April 7, 2003, Hindus are allowed to worship inside the Bhojshala complex every Tuesday, while Muslims are allowed to offer namaz at the site on Fridays.

It is believed that Raja Bhoj, a Hindu king, had installed the statue of Vagdevi in Bhojshala in 1034 AD. Hindu groups say the British took this statue to London in 1875.