Supreme Court Permits Friday Namaz at Separate Site Near Bhojshala, Agrees to Hear Challenge to MP High Court Verdict
The Supreme Court has directed the Madhya Pradesh government to provide Muslims with a separate open space near the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar for offering Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm, while making it clear that prayers will not be held inside the disputed premises during the pendency of the case. The interim arrangement is intended to maintain communal harmony as the apex court examines challenges to the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s recent judgment.
A Bench headed by the Chief Justice issued notice on petitions filed by Muslim parties challenging the High Court’s May 2026 verdict, which declared the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi) and set aside the 2003 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrangement that had permitted Muslims to offer Friday prayers at the site. The Supreme Court, however, declined to stay the High Court’s judgment at this stage.
While refusing interim relief that would restore namaz inside the complex, the Court sought to balance competing religious interests by directing the Dhar administration to identify an adjacent open space where Friday congregational prayers can be offered until the dispute is finally decided. The Bench also indicated its willingness to conduct day-to-day hearings to expedite the resolution of the long-pending litigation.
The Muslim petitioners argued that the High Court had overlooked centuries of historical records and disrupted a nearly 23-year-old administrative arrangement under which Hindus worshipped at the site on Tuesdays while Muslims offered Friday namaz. They contended that the judgment altered a long-standing status quo and warranted intervention by the apex court.
On the other hand, Hindu parties have supported the High Court’s findings, maintaining that the Bhojshala is an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and that the ASI’s earlier arrangement permitting namaz lacked legal foundation. The dispute has remained one of the country’s most closely watched religious property cases because of its historical, archaeological and constitutional implications.
The Supreme Court’s interim order does not decide the ownership or religious character of the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex. Instead, it seeks to preserve public order by facilitating Friday prayers at a nearby location while the legal challenge to the High Court’s judgment proceeds. The final determination on the rights of the parties and the status of the disputed site will depend on the outcome of the appeals pending before the apex court.
