Madhya Pradesh: ASI excavation at Bhojshala complex ends, documentation to continue; report to be submitted on July 2

ASI began the survey at Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque complex situated in the tribal-dominated Dhar district on March 22 following the order of Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court and it was 98th day of the survey on Thursday.

In a recent development at the disputed Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)'s excavation came to an end on Thursday and now the work of documentation would continue. ASI began the survey at Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque complex situated in the tribal-dominated Dhar district on March 22 following the order of Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court and it was the 98th day of the survey on Thursday.

Hindu petitioner Ashish Goyal told ANI, "Today, the ASI team conducted the survey for the 98th consecutive day since March 22. A team of seven survey officers and 36 labourers worked on Thursday. Seven remains have been found in the excavation out of which sex are big, of pillars, walls and some structures can also be seen in it. A structure of a Goddess is also found, which is broken." A statue which was found yesterday which was visible indistinctly, was brushed and cleaned and it turned out to be the statue of Lord Brahma. Today, photography, videography, brushing and cleaning was done inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhojshala, he added.

"ASI's Regional Director Bhuvan Vikram said that the scientific survey that continued from March 22, the work of excavations will end today and from tomorrow onwards only the work of documentation related to the survey will go on. All the provisions made till date will be intact, the team will come and prepare the documentation work," Goyal said. On July 2, ASI will submit the report before the Indore bench of MP High Court and the next hearing into the matter is scheduled July 4, he added.

"So far more than 1700 remains have been found in Bhojshala, in which over 650 big important pieces of evidence have been found, which also include many statues," Hindu petitioner Goyal further said. For Hindus, the Bhojshala Complex is a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while for Muslims, it is the site of the Kamal Maula mosque.

According to an arrangement in 2003, Hindus perform puja at the complex on Tuesdays from sunrise to sunset while Muslims offer namaz on Fridays from 1 pm to 3 pm. Notably, in the order dated March 11, 2024, Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the ASI to constitute an expert committee that will "complete scientific investigation, survey and excavation, through the adoption of the latest methods and techniques" and submit the report within six weeks.

During the next hearing into the matter on April 29, the ASI sought more time for the survey. The court further granted ASI eight weeks' time from April 29 for the survey. The court also made clear that no further extension of time should be granted to comply with the order dated March 11.

The court has also directed the ASI team to submit the complete exhaustive report on or before July 2, 2024. The next hearing into the matter is scheduled for July 4. (ANI)

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