Bhojshala Kamal Maula: SC allows Hindu Prayers at Bhojshala on Basant Panchami, carves fixed time for Muslim Namaz

On Thursday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Hindu prayers at the disputed Bhojshala, Kamal Maula complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Basant Panchami, while simultaneously carving out a fixed time window for Muslim namaz, seeking to balance competing claims at the sensitive site. The order assumes immediate significance as Basant Panchami coincides with a Friday this year, heightening tensions over access to the premises.

The dispute centres around the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque, where Hindu and Muslim groups had separately approached the authorities seeking permission to perform religious rituals on January 23. With Saraswati Puja falling on Basant Panchami and the day also being a Friday, both sides asserted their customary rights to worship, prompting judicial intervention to prevent conflict.

Addressing the competing claims, the Court permitted Hindus to offer prayers at the complex from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami, while allowing Muslims to perform namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm. To ensure orderly conduct, the Bench further directed that a list of members from the Muslim community intending to offer namaz be furnished to the district administration in advance.

The directions effectively allowed both religious practices to proceed within clearly demarcated time frames, and the Court disposed of the matter accordingly.

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