Vagdevi idol more important than Kohinoor: Bhojshala petitioners; seek its return from London

Petitioners from the Hindu side are now pressing for the return of the original idol kept at the British Museum in London and its reinstallation at Bhojshala.

Indore: Days after winning the Bhojshala case in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Hindu petitioners on Tuesday said it was necessary to bring back the idol of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) from a London museum, as it is "more important than the Kohinoor".

The MP High Court on Friday ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex is a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while simultaneously quashing a decades-old ASI order that allowed the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at the site.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday granted the Hindus unrestricted access to the monument for worship and other purposes.

Following the verdict, members of the Hindu community started offering prayers after installing a replica of the idol at the ASI-protected monument.

Petitioners from the Hindu side, who won the case, are now pressing for the return of the original idol kept at the British Museum in London and its reinstallation at Bhojshala.

In its May 15 order, the HC observed that the Government of India "may consider" representations seeking the return of the idol of Goddess Saraswati from London and its re-establishment within the Bhojshala complex.

One of the petitioners, Kuldeep Tiwari, told PTI on Tuesday that fresh representations had been submitted to the Centre, the ASI and the Madhya Pradesh government seeking the return of the idol from London.

He claimed the British had taken away the idol during the colonial period.

"Like the Kohinoor, the issue of return of the Vagdevi idol is now gaining momentum. But for us, this idol is more important than the Kohinoor because it is linked to our faith and cultural heritage," Tiwari said.

He said that bringing back the idol from Britain would not be difficult if the Centre shows "political will" and pursues diplomatic efforts, especially after the high court declared Bhojshala a Vagdevi temple.

"Indian idols and historical artefacts have been brought back earlier from several countries," he pointed out.

Tiwari said that, for now, a replica of the idol of Vagdevi has been symbolically installed at the Bhojshala complex, but the Hindu side’s demand is for the return of the original idol.

Another petitioner and state vice-president of Hindu Front for Justice, Ashish Goyal, said they had also urged the Centre to bring back the idol from the British Museum and reinstall it at Bhojshala.

Goyal further demanded that 94 idols found during the ASI survey of the Bhojshala complex in 2024 should also be respectfully reinstalled at the site.

He also urged that idols of Kubera, Ardhanarishwar and other deities, presently kept in Mandu and Dhar fort museums, be reinstalled at Bhojshala.

The Hindu petitioners had argued before the high court that Bhojshala was originally a Saraswati temple established in 1034 by Parmar king Bhoj and was demolished during Alauddin Khilji's invasion of the Malwa region in 1305.

They also claimed that remains of the temple were reused for the construction of a mosque at the disputed site.

The demand for the return of the idol from the British Museum has been raised repeatedly over the years by Hindu groups, and governments had earlier assured action on the issue.

The idol has also been claimed by members of the Jain community.

Delhi-based social activist Salekchand Jain had filed a public interest litigation in the high court, claiming Bhojshala was originally a medieval Jain temple and gurukul. The idol kept in the British Museum was actually of Jain Yakshini Ambika and not Goddess Vagdevi, he further claimed.

The high court, however, dismissed that petition.

In its May 15 judgment, the HC declared the religious character of the Bhojshala complex as a Vagdevi temple.