'Maha aarti' held at Bhojshala on first Friday after HC verdict; Muslims offer namaz at homes

Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh for a "maha aarti" on Friday, following a high court ruling declaring the site a Hindu temple.

Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar for a ''maha aarti'' on Friday, exactly a week after the high court declared the site a temple, while members of the Muslim community offered namaz at their homes wearing black bands in protest.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 15 ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex was a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi and quashed an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order that had allowed Muslims to offer namaz at the site on Fridays.

Before the verdict, Hindus were allowed to worship at the medieval monument only on Tuesdays, while Muslims had been offering Friday prayers there for years. Both communities claim rights over the site.

This Friday marked the first Jumma or the day of special congregational prayers after the court verdict and Hindu groups described the event as the first large-scale Friday worship at the site in more than two decades.

The Bhoj Utsav Samiti and Bhojshala Mukti Yagya Samiti organised religious programmes, bhajan-kirtan and a ''maha aarti'' at the complex amid tight security arrangements.

Bhojshala Mukti Yagya Samiti convenor Gopal Sharma said devotees from Dhar and nearby areas participated peacefully in the rituals and prayers throughout the day.

The sanctum area and parts of the complex were decorated with rangoli and flowers as devotees queued up for darshan and prayers.

Meanwhile, members of the Muslim community offered Friday namaz in the courtyards of their homes and private premises wearing black bands as a mark of protest after the court setback in the Bhojshala case.

Local Muslim leader Abdul Samad said the community respected the high court's verdict but was not satisfied with the decision.

''We registered our protest peacefully by offering Jumma namaz at our homes and wearing black bands,'' he said.

Samad said a petition challenging the high court order had been filed in the Supreme Court, and he expressed hope of getting justice.

He also objected to the administration's decision cancelling permission for offering Friday namaz at the Kamal Maula Mosque portion of the complex.

Earlier in the day, Samad said a delegation from the Muslim community recently met the administration and submitted a memorandum alleging that certain activities around Bhojshala were not in line with the high court's directions.

He welcomed the administration's decision to cancel some programmes and permissions which, according to him, could have disturbed peace in the city.

''The Constitution gives equal religious freedom to all communities, and we will continue to act within its framework,'' he said.

In view of the sensitive situation, the authorities deployed around 2,000 security personnel across Dhar district. Drone surveillance, CCTV monitoring, vehicle checks and mobile patrolling were also carried out.

Dhar Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma said the high court directions were implemented ''in letter and spirit'' and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the district.