The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted both Saraswati Puja and Friday namaz to be held at the disputed Bhojshala Templecum-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, on Basant Panchami, which falls on Friday, January 23.
Issuing clear directions to ensure peace, safety and the smooth conduct of religious activities, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi ruled that the Hindu community would be allowed to perform Saraswati Puja and other traditional Basant Panchami rituals throughout the day.
At the same time, members of the Muslim community will be permitted to offer Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm. The Court directed that namaz be performed in a separate and exclusive area within the premises, while a distinct space would be earmarked for Hindu rituals, in line with past practice.
To prevent any overlap or disturbance, the Bench ordered separate entry and exit points for both communities. The Chief Justice also asked the mosque committee to provide an estimated number of worshippers offering namaz in advance to the local magistrate, enabling the District Magistrate to issue passes and make adequate security arrangements.
The Court directed the district administration to strictly maintain law and order and ensure that no untoward incident occurs. Appealing to both sides, the CJI urged mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation with the State and district administration, while clarifying that no observations were being made on the merits of the main dispute.
During the hearing, the Archaeological Survey of India assured the Court that law and order arrangements would be handled as in previous years. Counsel for the mosque committee stated that namaz would be held only between 1 pm and 3 pm and the area vacated thereafter, adding that traditional Friday (Juma) namaz cannot be shifted.
The petition was filed by the Hindu Front for Justice, citing ambiguity in an ASI order dated April 7, 2023, when Basant Panchami coincides with a Friday. Similar arrangements were made in 2006, 2012 and 2016.
