Members of the Bhoj Utsav Samiti and a large number of Hindu devotees carried the idol of Maa Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati) on their heads and ceremonially placed it inside the Bhojshala amid chants of prayers at sunrise on Sunday, initiating regular worship rituals at the site, which the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday officially declared a Hindu temple.
Prior to the installation of the idol, the sanctum sanctorum and the entire Bhojshala premises were sanctified with Ganga water and cow urine as part of traditional purification rituals.
After the idol was ceremonially installed, it was garlanded and ritually purified. The eternal flame (Akhand Jyoti) was also lit and placed inside the sanctum sanctorum. Prayers continued throughout the morning, and the Maha Aarti was conducted at around 11:45 am.
All the rituals were carried out with great fervour and devotion following the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s verdict declaring the archaeological monument of Bhojshala, located in Dhar district of the state, as the Hindu temple of Maa Vagdevi.
The court rejected the claim of the Muslim side that Bhojshala is the ancient Kamaal Maula Mosque.
The court also cancelled the long-standing arrangement that allowed Muslims to offer Juma Namaz at Bhojshala every Friday. Instead, it granted Hindus unhindered worship rights on all days.
Following the court verdict, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated that Bhojshala would be further developed so that people from across the state, the country, and the world could visit the site and seek the blessings of Maa Vagdevi.