A formal worship ceremony was held at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar on Sunday, where a Maa Saraswati idol was installed inside the sanctum sanctorum for the first time. The event marked a major development at the disputed site after the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench recognised the religious character of the Bhojshala complex as a temple of Maa Vaagdevi, also known as Saraswati.

At the same time, the Bhojshala Utsav Samiti and Bhojshala Mukti Yagna Samiti, which have been conducting prayers at the site since 2003, put up posters outside the complex banning the entry of non-Hindus. The organisations said the restriction was imposed for security reasons.

“Entry for non-Hindus is prohibited at the Bhojshala due to security purposes. 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.

The ceremony began early in the morning with the installation of an eternal flame brought from a temple located outside the complex. Members of the Bhoj Utsav Samiti and local devotees gathered at the site for prayers and rituals dedicated to Maa Vagdevi. The organisers also carried out purification rituals before the worship ceremony began.

“At sunrise, members of the Bhoj Utsav Samiti and the Hindu community offered prayers to Maa 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.

Union minister Savitri Thakur led the hoisting of a saffron flag at the Bhojshala complex on Sunday. The ceremony was carried out under the new guidelines issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) after the court ruling. The ASI order, released on Saturday, removed earlier restrictions related to Hindu worship at the site.

According to the ASI order, “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.”

The latest developments came after the ASI survey report was submitted before the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Based on the report, the court established the religious identity of the Bhojshala complex as a temple dedicated to Maa Vaagdevi. The decision paved the way for unrestricted Hindu worship inside the premises.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav welcomed the developments and said the state government was committed to restoring Bhojshala to its “former glory”. He said the site would be developed further so that devotees from across the state and the country could visit and seek blessings at the temple.

“It will be developed to enable devotees from across the state and nation to seek the blessings of Maa Vagdevi,” he said.

The court order and the latest religious activities at the complex also drew political reactions. Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh questioned the legal basis of the worship activities being conducted at the monument. He said the court’s order lacked clarity and pointed out that the site remains protected under the ASI.

“The high court’s order was ambiguous. The monument is protected under the ASI and there is legally no provision for conducting worship,” Singh said.

The Bhojshala complex in Dhar has remained a sensitive and disputed site for years, with both Hindu and Muslim groups staking claims over its religious identity. The latest court ruling and the new ASI guidelines have now significantly changed the nature of access and worship at the complex. Sunday’s installation of the Saraswati idol, along with the hoisting of the saffron flag and the restrictions on non-Hindu entry, marked a major moment in the ongoing dispute surrounding the historic site.