First Saraswati idol installed at Bhojshala sanctum; posters outside ban entry of non-Hindus

The Bhojshala Utsav Samiti and Bhojshala Mukti Yagna Samiti put up posters outside the temple barring entry of non-Hindus.

Updated on: May 18, 2026, 08:24:18 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A formal worship ceremony was conducted at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar on Sunday, marking the first-ever installation of Goddess Saraswati in the sanctum sanctorum. While the Bhojshala Utsav Samiti and Bhojshala Mukti Yagna Samiti, organisations holding prayers at Bhojshala since 2003, put a poster outside the temple banning entry of non-Hindus.

A day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that Bhojshala in Dhar district was a temple of Goddess Saraswati, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday granted the Hindus unrestricted access to the monument for worship and other purposes. (PTI Photo)

“Entry for non-Hindus is prohibited at the Bhojshala due to security purpose. Only those who arrive wearing a tilak and draped in a saffron scarf will be granted entry,” Gopal Sharma, a member of the Bhojshala Utsav Samity, said.

An eternal flame from a temple, located outside the complex, was ceremonially installed in the sanctum sanctorum. “At sunrise, members of the Bhoj Utsav Samiti and the Hindu community offered prayers to Goddess Vagdevi, followed by a special aarti at 11.45 am. A large number of devotees gathered at the complex. The committee began by purifying the premises with Gangajal (holy water from the Ganges) and cow urine,” said Sharma.

Also Read | Ayodhya 2.0: Bhojshala a Hindu temple, rules MP HC; cites SC's principles in ruling on Dhar dispute

Led by Union minister Savitri Thakur, a saffron flag was also hoisted on Sunday in accordance with newly implemented guidelines issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) after Madhya Pradesh high court Indore bench established the religious character of the Bhojshala complex.

CM Yadav says govt committed to restoring Bhojshala’s “former glory”

Chief minister Mohan Yadav said the BJP-led state government was committed to restoring Bhojshala to its “former glory”. “It will be developed to enable devotees from across the state and nation to seek the blessings of Goddess Vagdevi,” he said.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh reacted on the court’s order. “The high court’s order was ambiguous. The monument is protected under the ASI and there is legally no provision for conducting worship.”

Earlier, on the basis of ASI survey report, the court established the religious character of the complex as a temple of Vaagdevi (Saraswati).

Following the court order, the ASI, in it’s order released on Saturday, said, “The high court quashed restrictions previously imposed by the director general of ASI that limited Hindu worship rights within the complex while permitting Muslim prayers...the Hindu community shall have unrestricted access to the Bhojshala Complex.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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