An idol of Goddess Vagdevi made of ashtadhatu, an alloy of eight metals, was covertly placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Saturday, June 6, prompting Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials to remove it later that evening.
The idol had reportedly been there for several hours before ASI staff discovered it. Flowers, akshat and other puja items found near the idol indicated that worship had been conducted at the spot. Authorities said they were yet to identify who brought the idol into the premises, when it was placed, and how it escaped notice for so long.
The incident has put a spotlight on security gaps at the sensitive protected monument. Police guard the outer periphery of the complex while ASI personnel are responsible for the interior.
ASI chief archaeologist Prashant Patankar refused to comment. Dhar Kotwali SHO Dipak Singh Chohan said no FIR had been registered, citing the lack of clear ASI guidelines on objects permitted inside Bhojshala.
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The episode comes in the wake of the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s May 15 ruling declaring Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. The verdict, delivered by Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi, struck down a 2003 ASI arrangement that had allowed Hindus to worship on Tuesdays and Muslims to offer namaz on Fridays.
Following the ruling, ASI revised the arrangement to permit daily Hindu worship. The Muslim community has since challenged the verdict before the Supreme Court.
The original Vagdevi idol, believed to have been installed at Bhojshala by Paramara king Raja Bhoj in 1034 AD, is currently held in a London museum. Demands for its repatriation have grown louder since the court verdict, with the Centre and Madhya Pradesh government said to be actively pursuing the matter.
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