Saraswati Puja started on Friday at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, with a significant presence of Hindu devotees arriving to offer prayers under tight security measures.
Both Hindu devotees of Baghichi Devi (Goddess Saraswati) and Muslim community members are expected to visit the site for prayers, with Hindus allowed to pray from sunrise to sunset and Muslims permitted to offer Namaz between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, despite being in Davos, extended Basant Panchami greetings through a social media post, emphasizing the importance of Maa Saraswati and wishing well-being for the people of Madhya Pradesh.
The Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Masque Complex remains a contentious site as Hindus believe it to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while Muslims associate it with Kamal Maula Mosque, leading to a long-standing religious dispute.
Security has been heightened at the disputed site with over 8,000 police personnel and Rapid Action Forces (RAF) deployed by the Dhar district administration to ensure law and order during the religious observances.
