The verdict by the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 15 May declaring Dhar’s Kamal Maula mosque complex as the Bhojshala Saraswati Temple marks another  moment in India’s contest over faith, history and law. In a detailed judgment, the court held that the religious character of the site to be that of a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), linked to Raja Bhoj of the Paramara dynasty. It granted Hindus unrestricted access while suggesting alternative land for the Muslim community, effectively overriding centuries of use as a mosque.The structure, built between 1304 and 1331 during the Delhi Sultanate, has long been known as the Kamal Maula mosque, associated with the Sufi saint Kamaluddin Chishti. Muslim worship at the site stretches back nearly 700 years, supported by historical references, revenue records and colonial-era documentation. A 1935 Dhar state court reportedly recognised it as a mosque. Even the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) treated and protected it as such through much of the 20th century. The term ‘bhojshala’ gained currency only in the early 1900s through colonial officials notably education........

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