After the Madhya Pradesh high court verdict declaring the 700-year-old Kamal Maula Mosque an 11th-century temple of goddess Vagdevi or Saraswati and dismissing the Muslim community’s claims, an ashtadhatu (eight-metal) idol of goddess Vagdevi was allegedly found to have been secretly placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhojshala complex before being removed by the ASI hours later.
The clandestine appearance of the idol on Saturday has rekindled concerns over security at the highly contested monument, which has remained at the centre of a protracted dispute between Hindu and Muslim communities over its religious and historical identity.
According to local reports, the idol remained inside the protected premises for several hours before ASI officials discovered and removed it later in the evening. Flowers, akshat and other ritual offerings found alongside the idol suggested that worship had already been conducted at the site before authorities intervened.
Officials are yet to ascertain who brought the idol into the complex, when it was installed, or how it remained undetected for such a considerable period despite the monument being under constant surveillance. The incident has also exposed apparent gaps in the security apparatus, with ASI personnel overseeing the interior of the monument while police maintain vigil around its outer perimeter.
Dhar Kotwali station house officer Dipak Singh Chohan said no criminal case had been registered thus far, citing existing ASI guidelines governing objects permitted within the protected monument. He added that police and security personnel would ensure that prohibited articles do not enter the premises once further directions are issued.
No individual or organisation has been linked to the episode. The Bhoj Utsav Samiti publicly distanced itself from the matter, asserting that it had no connection with the idol discovered inside the complex. Its convenor, Gopal Sharma, noted that devotees were already worshipping a symbolic representation of goddess Vagdevi installed earlier this month.
The development comes less than a month after the high court’s May 15 judgment, which overturned a 2003 ASI directive permitting Friday prayers at the site and held that the mosque had been constructed over a pre-existing temple. The ruling has since intensified demands from Hindu groups seeking the return of the original Vagdevi idol currently housed in a London Museum.