The Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has admitted a petition seeking the removal of the word “mosque” from the official records of Bijamandal in Vidisha and restoration of full worship rights for Hindus at the disputed site.
The petition, running over 118 pages, was filed by senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain as the lead petitioner others including Vidisha resident Shubham Verma. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain will fight the case. The case, listed before the High Court, has sought a response from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other government authorities.
#विदिशा के हम सभी हिंदुओं के लिए गर्व का विषय है कि #बीजामंडल मंदिर की #पेटिशन माननीय उच्च न्यायालय ग्वालियर ने स्वीकार कर ली है तथा इसमें मांग की गई है कि #बीजामंडल के आगे से Mosque शब्द को हटाकर मंदिर किया जाए तथा हिंदुओं को बीजामंडल मंदिर में १२ महीने बेरोकटोक पूजा का अधिकार… pic.twitter.com/0GzVSz1vMn
— Shubham Verma (@THESHUBHAMV) September 14, 2025
Petitioners contend that the ASI has incorrectly described the monument as “Beejamandal Mosque” in its records, despite historical evidence identifying it as a temple. They have demanded that the site be officially designated as a mandir and that Hindus be allowed to perform worship throughout the year without restrictions.
According to the petition, the Bijamandal temple was demolished in 1682 during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Since then, the Hindu community has periodically raised demands for restoration of worship rights, but the matter had remained unresolved for nearly seven decades after Independence.
Shubham Verma, who is listed as the second petitioner, told reporters in Vidisha that he and local youths had organised movements over the last two years to demand access to the temple but were unable to secure the opening of the site. He said they gathered documents, inscriptions, and records from archaeological and historical sources and submitted them to the legal team for preparation of the petition.
The petition was drafted by Advocates Harishankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain.
The petitioners include Rakesh, Mani, and Rahul from Delhi, in addition to local youth leaders. They said their plea is based on historical, archaeological, and literary sources, and seeks recognition of the site as a Hindu temple.
The High Court’s notice marks the first time the Bijamandal dispute has formally come up for judicial scrutiny.
Bijamandal, also referred to as Vijay Mandir, has been a point of contention for decades, with demands for Hindu worship rights being periodically raised.
The petitioners state the site is a matter of cultural self-respect for the Hindu community in Vidisha.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
