MP: Images of Hindu deities found on Bhojshala pillar, claims Hindu activist
ASI conducting complex survey in presence of Hindu, Muslim representatives
Bhopal: Images of Hindu deities have been reportedly discovered in a pillar within the complex of the Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, during excavation conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
This revelation was made by Gopal Sharma, the coordinator of the Bhojshala festival committee, who accompanied the ASI team during the site excavation.
“On the 55th day of excavation and exploration by the ASI team on Tuesday, images of Lord Krishna holding the ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ in his hand, Lord Ram carrying a bow, Lord Parashuram, and Shiva were found on one of the pillars within the sanctum sanctorum of the Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati) shrine built inside the Bhojshala temple complex,” claimed Sharma.
The images of Krishna, Ram, Parashuram, and Shiva were found on the northern, southern, eastern, and western sides of the pillar, respectively. These Hindu deity images emerged after the pillar was cleared of soil, he added.
According to him, the pillar is situated in front of the presiding deity of the Vagdevi temple.
Sharma also claimed that over 1,000 remains of historical significance have been unearthed during the excavation process.
The survey of the site, initiated by the ASI following a directive from the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on March 11 this year, continued for the 58th day on Friday.
The ASI team has been conducting the survey of the complex in the presence of Hindu and Muslim representatives, local administration, and police.
On March 11, the High Court instructed the ASI to conduct a survey of the complex, noting that its nature and character needed to be‘demystified and freed from the shackles of confusion’.
This directive by the Madhya Pradesh High Court was in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a group called the Hindu Front for Justice, which argued that the Kamal Maula mosque was constructed during the reign of Alauddin Khilji between the 13th and 14th centuries by ‘destroying and dismantling ancient structures of previously constructed Hindu temples’.
For Hindus, the ASI-protected site is a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi, while for Muslims, it is the site of the Kamal Maula mosque.
As per an agreement reached in 2003, Hindus worship in the Vagdevi temple inside the complex on Tuesdays, while Muslims offer namaz in the mosque inside the complex on Fridays.