Bhojshala Row: Supreme Court Asks State To Identify Adjacent Site For Friday Namaz After Muslim Side Alleges Site Is 2 Km Away
Previously, the Bench had ordered the arrangement near the complex to ensure peaceful Friday prayers without prejudice to either side as it agreed to hear the appeals.
The Supreme Court has asked the State of Madhya Pradesh to identify an alternate adjacent site for Friday Namaz in the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex dispute.
Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Muslim side, mentioned the urgency regarding the arrangement for offering Friday prayers.
On July 14, the Court directed that a separate, adjacent open space be provided to the Muslim community to offer Friday Namaz between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM.
The ad-hoc interim measure, passed without prejudice to the rights of either side, came after the petitioners challenged a May 15, 2026, Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment that declared the disputed 11th-century monument a Hindu temple and quashed the long-standing 2003 ASI order allowing bi-weekly shared worship.
The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana said, "We can list it on Friday, and meanwhile you find out an alternate site which would be adjacent to that."
Mentioning the Interlocutory Application before a Bench, Ahmadi submitted that while the apex court had previously directed that a site adjacent to or in close proximity to the disputed complex be handed over for offering Friday Namaz between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, the local administration had allotted a location approximately two kilometers away.
He contended that the community had already missed two Friday prayers due to the distant site allotment and urged the Court to list the application urgently to ensure a suitable adjacent space was earmarked.
He submitted, "We handed over adjacent... a site handed over for Namaz on Friday, either adjacent or nearby the property, that was your order. Now they have allocated us a site 2 kilometers away. I have made an IA, diary number is given, please list it tomorrow."
Representing the State authorities, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Bench that the site allotted by the administration was roughly 900 meters away, rather than two kilometers. He further submitted that active discussions were underway with the authorities to identify a viable alternate site closer to the premises and requested time to resolve the issue in consultation with the local administration.
SG Tushar Mehta said, "I had a discussion with the authorities. They are identifying, My Lord, and we are resolving the issue."
Taking note of the submissions, the Bench emphasized that its interim directions were to be strictly observed in letter and spirit, recalling that an adjacent site had historically been utilized for Friday prayers during the pendency of the original suit. While the applicant sought an earlier listing, the top court directed the matter to be listed on Friday, July 24, instructing the authorities and the parties to identify a mutually agreeable, adjacent location in the interim.
On May 15, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar district is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. It simultaneously quashed a decades-old ASI order that had allowed the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at the site. In May 2022, the High Court had issued notice in the matter.
The High Court had also said that the Centre and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) can decide on the Bhojshala complex's administration and management. The Hindu community considers Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while the Muslim side calls the 11th-century monument the Kamal Maula Mosque.
The disputed complex is protected by the ASI. The Muslim side has filed appeals against the high court verdict. The Court quashed the April 7, 2003, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order that had restricted Hindu worship to specific days and permitted Friday namaz for the Muslim community.
Previously, the Supreme Court had refused to review the survey report, videography and objections made by the Maulana Kamaluddin Welfare Society in the dispute pertaining to the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque.
In January 2026, the Supreme Court allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami on Friday at the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, while permitting Muslims to offer namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm on the day.
Cause Title: Jebran Ansari v. Union of India and Ors. [Diary No.- 33643/2026] and Quazi Moinuddin v. Hindu Front of Justice and Ors. [Diary No. -32281/2026]