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.
“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.
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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.”
