Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh is famous for its ‘Bhojshala’. The ancient Hindu place of worship which has been turned into a mosque, has now found itself in controversy after the idol of goddess Vagdevi was found there by the guards between 9 and 10 September. However, the administration has denied the claim of the idols ‘appearing’ and has removed it.
According to reports, a video went viral on social media on the night of 9 September in which it was claimed that an idol of the goddess has ‘appeared’ in the 11th-century monument. The same night another message with a similar assertion went viral on WhatsApp as well.
It was taken from the Bhojshala premises at around 4 in the morning and stored in an undisclosed location after the clip gained traction on the internet. Furthermore, the Bhojshala was closed and its security was increased. Superintendent of Police Inderjit Bakalwar characterized it as a conspiracy by mischievous individuals and added that some people put the Saraswati idol there, after severing the wire installed for the security of the premises.
The issue is being investigated on the basis of CCTV footage. The senior official has talked about taking action against those spreading misleading news on social media.
Hindu organisations allegedly stated that the goddess Saraswati ‘appeared’ inside her old temple, just like Lord Ram did in the Ram temple at his birthplace of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Ashok Jain, convenor of the ‘Bhoj Utsav Committee’ mentioned that the idol which has been removed by the administration should be reinstalled. He conveyed, “Ma Vagdevi has manifested and she will be duly worshipped here. There will be protests if the idol is not put back.”
Arrest of the accused
The Dhar police arrested three people on 13 September in connection with placing the idol inside Bhojshala. They were presented before the court following the conclusion of the proceedings at the police station. All three were sent into judicial custody by the court until 26 September. Another perpetrator, Ravi Chaudhary was apprehended by the police on 12 September.
He informed the police everything about the incident during questioning and provided them with the identities of the other three individuals who were present with him. Afterwards, Shiv Kumar, a resident of Raisen, Manoj Tanwar, a resident of Naugaon, Dhar and Makhan Bairagi, a resident of Sagaur, Dhar were captured by the cops. Four persons have been nabbed so far in the case.
Background of the Bhojshala controversy
Hindu organizations consider the Bhojshala as the temple of goddess Vageshwari or Vagdevi who is 4th incarnation of goddess Saraswati. Hindus proclaim that the king of Dhar had given permission to some Muslims to offer namaz here. Therefore, they call it Bhojshala-Kamal-Maulana Mosque and argue that they have been offering Namaz inside the building for years.
It is believed that the Dhar State designated it a protected structure in the year 1909. The place used to be open only on Fridays and in 1935, the then-king allowed Muslims to pray here on the same day. Hindu outfits opposed the practice in 1995 after which permission was granted to Hindus to worship the goddess Vageshwari every Tuesday.
However, on 12 May 1997, the then-collector not only prohibited people from visiting the place but also banned the worship of the goddess there. Hindus can only worship at the temple when it opens on Basant Panchami. Notably, namaz regularly happened there during this time with no restrictions on Friday prayers. The ban on pooja was eventually lifted on 31 July 1997 after demonstrations.
The process of imposing and withdrawing the ban did not end there. The Archaeology Department forbade anyone from entering the area in 1998 but the restriction was once more repealed in 2003. Pooja was carried out here every year on Basant Panchami as well as on Tuesdays in addition to the namaz on Fridays. However, tensions rose high in 2013 and 2016 when Basant Panchami fell on Friday.
The history of Bhojshala
Raja Bhoj, ruler of the Parmar dynasty, established a college in Dhar which later came to be known as Bhojshala. He was a devoted follower of goddess Saraswati which might be the reason behind his great interest in education and literature.
He built a grand school in the form of Bhojshala in 1034 and erected a statue of the goddess there. It was then called Saraswati Sadan. Bhojshala is also considered to be the manifestation place of the deity.
The Bhojshala temple has several inscriptions which discuss grammar in Sanskrit that date from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Some of them praised the kings who succeeded Raja Bhoj and ruled whereas others have dramatic compositions in classic Sanskrit. The temple was described by poet Madan in his works. The London Museum currently houses the original statue of the goddess Saraswati that was discovered there.
In addition to being a temple, Bhojshala was home to one of India’s biggest universities. Moreover, it served as the first Sanskrit study centre in the world. Ayurveda, grammar, astrology, art, drama, music, yoga, philosophy and multiple other subjects were studied at the institution by thousands of students from India and outside.
Islamic invasion
Islamic invader Alauddin Khilji ravaged Bhojshala in 1305, according to historical records. Dilawar Khan built a mosque in a part of the structure in 1401. Mahmood Shah Khilji built a mosque on the remaining portion in 1514. As the debate grew over time, Bhojshala was designated a protected monument under British administration.
A report from the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti indicated that the professors and pupils of Bhojshala opposed Alauddin Khilji’s Islamic troops during the siege in 1305. Approximately 1,200 pupils and professors were imprisoned by the Muslim ruler and ordered to convert to Islam but none of them complied due to which they were murdered and their bodies were thrown into the huge Havan Kund of Bhojshala. Another Hindu temple was thus destroyed by Islamic extremism.
Afterwards, excavation was done in Bhojshala in 1875 and the magnificent idol of the goddess Saraswati was discovered. The British took it to Britain and now it is kept in a museum in London. The Bhojshala Mukti Andolan has pushed for the return of the idol and the release of the historic structure from Muslim control.
A petition regarding the same has been filed in the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court in which a demand has been made to stop Namaz here. Hindu organizations have also demanded a detailed videographic survey of the entire premises.
