Trenches dug at Bhojshala complex as part of ASI survey that continues on 7th day

Dhar: The court-mandated Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey at the contentious Bhojshala/Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district continued on the seventh day on Thursday, for which some trenches have been dug at the site, people linked to the exercise said.

Ashish Goyal and Gopal Sharma representing the Hindu community and a leader of the Muslim community, Abdul Samad, were present with the ASI team during the survey.

Samad, who is also the president of the Maulana Kamal Welfare society, said, "We have said earlier also that the Muslim community is not against the ongoing survey. We are against the inclusion of those things in the survey which were kept inside the complex after 2003. We have registered our objections on certain issues before the survey team as it is our right."

"The survey is going at present behind the complex with the ASI team digging 5-6 feet deep trenches at three places. They are doing their job as per their requirement as directed by the high court and we are also cooperating with them."

On March 11, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the ASI to carry out within six weeks a 'scientific survey' of the Bhojshala complex, a medieval-era monument that Hindus believe is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) and the Muslim community calls Kamal Maula Mosque.

Acting on the court directives, the ASI team, accompanied by senior police and administrative officials, on March 22 began its survey at the disputed complex in the tribal-dominated Dhar district.

As per an ASI order of April 7, 2003, Hindus are allowed to worship inside the Bhojshala complex every Tuesday, while Muslims are allowed to offer namaz at the site on Fridays.

It is believed that Raja Bhoj, a Hindu king, had installed the statue of Vagdevi in Bhojshala in 1034 AD. Hindu groups say the British took this statue to London in 1875.