Hindus, Muslims offer prayers and namaaz at Bhojshala amid heavy security

Dhar: Saraswati Puja and Friday namaaz took place simultaneously at the Bhojshala Saraswati Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in MP's Dhar district on Friday, with Basant Panchami and Jumma namaaz falling on the same day.As per the directives of Supreme Court on Thursday, Hindu devotees flocked the complex for the traditional puja of Vaghdevi, as Saraswati is locally known, since early morning hours, while a dozen and half members of the Muslim community were taken inside the complex through a separate entrance by the district administration for the namaaz between 1 pm and 3 pm.Dhar town was decked up with saffron flags fluttering through narrow lanes, yellow posters beckoning devotees, even as the town turned into a fortress with heavy security bandobast put in place.With tension simmering between the two communities in the run up to Basant Panchami that fell on Friday and neither side willing to give up, SC's directive -- followed by the heavy security arrangements by the district administration -- ensured that the day passed peacefully. Hindus performed the puja from dawn to dusk. The administration ensured separate entrance for the Hindu devotees and Muslims to enter the complex to avoid any confrontation. Both the communities also ensured that they honoured the apex court directives."I can't explain how happy we all are. We have been able to offer prayers to Goddess Vaghdevi on Basant Panchami," said Durga Rathore, a homemaker who stood for over an hour waiting her turn at the entrance of the historical complex.Her sentiment was echoed by Sangeeta Gaikwad, another devotee, who struck a conciliatory note. "We could not have wished less. The Muslim community has also been allowed to offer prayers. I hope that harmony prevails in the Dhar town."The jubilation also turned into a demand for installation of the Goddess Vaghdevi statue, currently lodged in the British Museum in London. "Now we wish the Vaghdevi statue will reach Dhar and be installed at its original place. This is the only Vaghdevi temple in the district," college professor Tripti Sharma said.She was of the belief that PM Narendra Modi is aware of the status and will work towards getting the idol back to India.The euphoria, however, came wrapped in layers of security. District collector Priyank Mishra revealed that as many as 8,000 security personnel had been deployed around the site — a force comprising district police, Rapid Action Force, CRPF, MP Armed Force, SRPF and women police units. Drones surveyed from above while CCTV cameras kept watch at strategic locations, ensuring the fragile peace held firm.He said around 20,000 people visited Bhojshala, but visible numbers were quite higher than the official claims.The celebration began at sunrise with devotees and members of the Basantoutsav Samiti performing havan in the courtyard. The festivities escalated with a ‘Shobha Yatra' that started from Ghoda Choupati, where approximately 10,000 participants — most dressed in yellow — raised slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram' and hailed Goddess Saraswati. The procession wound its way for 1.5km before culminating at Bhojshala.As Hindu devotees immersed themselves in daylong prayers, the afternoon brought a different ritual. Around 15-17 members of the Muslim community were escorted in a closed police van from Lakdi Pitha area to a separate entrance of the complex, which they claim as Kamal Maula's mosque. They arrived at their allocated slot to offer Jumma namaaz.Senior police officers patrolled streets that had been adorned with saffron flags since morning, their presence a visible reminder that peace, on this day at least, required careful orchestration. The heavy deployment reflected not just administrative caution but the weight of history that hangs over such contested spaces.