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The Bhojshala (
IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: Bhojaśālā, sometimes Bhoj Shala, meaning 'Hall of Bhoja') is an historic building located in
Dhar Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar ...
,
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The name is derived from the celebrated king
Bhoja Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all h ...
of the Paramāra dynasty of
central India Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...
, a patron of education and the arts, to whom major Sanskrit works on poetics,
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
and architecture are attributed. The term ''Bhojashala'' became linked to the building in the early 20th century; the architectural parts of the structure itself date mainly to the 12th century, with the Islamic tombs in the campus added between the 14th and 15th century. Bhojshala is presently an archaeological site under the protection of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
, but over the last century it has become a site disputed between Hindus and Muslims. The exploration of the location since the 19th century has yielded information on medieval religions particularly of
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
. The general precinct around the Bhojshala is also the location of four Sufi tombs. The
hypostyle In architecture, a hypostyle () hall has a roof which is supported by columns. Etymology The term ''hypostyle'' comes from the ancient Greek ὑπόστυλος ''hypóstȳlos'' meaning "under columns" (where ὑπό ''hypó'' means below or un ...
hall was built primarily from temple pillars and parts around 1390 CE, while the original tomb of Kamal al-Din Malawi (c. 1238-1330) is older., Quote: "Next to the tomb is a spacious hypostyle mosque built primarily of reused temple parts (Fig. 3)." The Muslims use the building for Friday prayers and
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic festivals, while the Hindus pray on Tuesday. The Hindus also seek to pray to goddess Sarasvatī at the site on
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
festival, and this been a source of Hindu-Muslim tension when Vasant Panchami falls on a Friday.Indore celebrates Basant Panchmi
The Times of India, February 2, 2017


History: King Bhoja

King
Bhoja Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all h ...
, who ruled between ''circa'' 1000 and 1055 in central India, is considered one of the greatest kings in the Indian tradition. He was a celebrated patron of arts, and out of reverence for him, Hindu scholars that followed traditionally attributed a large number of Sanskrit works on philosophy, astronomy, grammar medicine, yoga, architecture and other subjects to him. Of these, a well studied and influential text in the field of poetics is ''Śṛṅgaraprakāśa''. The core premise of the work is that
Sringara Sringara ( sa, शृङ्गार, ) is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as erotic love, romantic love, or as attraction or beauty. ''Rasa'' means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts inc ...
is the fundamental and motivating impulse in the universe. Along with his literary and art support, Bhoja began constructing a
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
temple at Bhojpur. If it had been completed to the extent he planned, the temple would have been double the size of the Hindu temples at the
Khajuraho Group of Monuments The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres southeast of Jhansi. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are famous for their nagara-styl ...
. The temple was partially completed, and the epigraphical evidence confirms that Bhoja founded and built Hindu temples. One of Bhoja's successors was king
Arjunavarman Arjunavarman (reigned c. 1210-1215 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, who ruled in the Malwa region of central India. Military career Arjuna succeeded his father Subhatavarman, and invaded the kingdom of the Chaulukyas of Guj ...
(''circa'' 1210-15). He and many others, in Hindu and Jain traditions, held Bhoja in such high regard that they stated or were revered as a reincarnation (rebirth) of Bhoja or Bhoja-like ruler. Centuries later, Bhoja remained a revered figure as evidenced by Merutuṅga's '' Prabandhacintāmaṇi'' completed in the fourteenth century, and Ballāla's ''Bhojaprabandha'' composed at
Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...
in the 17th century. This tradition continued, and in the 20th century, Hindu scholars described Bhoja as an example of the glorious past of their historic culture and a part of Hindu identity. The capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh,
Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
, is named after him, i.e. ''Bhoj-pāl'' but some trace the name to ''Bhūpāla'', a Sanskrit word meaning king, literally, 'Protector of the Earth.'


Dhār and Inscriptions in the Bhojaśālā

The archaeological sites at Dhār, especially the inscriptions, attracted the early attention of colonial Indologists and historians.
John Malcolm Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian. Early life Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of Geo ...
mentioned Dhār in 1822, along with building projects such as the dams planned and completed by King Bhoja. The scholarly study on the inscriptions of Bhojśālā continued in the late nineteenth century with the efforts of
Bhau Daji Ramachandra Vitthal Lad (1824–1874), commonly known as Bhau Daji Lad was an Indian physician, Sanskrit scholar, and an antiquarian. Early life and education Lad was born in 1822 in a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin family in Mandrem (Manjari) Goa. ...
in 1871. A fresh page was turned in 1903 when K. K. Lele, Superintendent of Education in the Princely State of Dhār, reported a number of Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions in the walls and floor of the pillared hall at Kamāl Maula. Study of the inscriptions has been continued by various scholars to the present. The variety and size of the inscribed tablets at the site, among them two serpentine inscriptions giving grammatical rules of the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
language, show that materials were brought from a wide area and a number of different structures.


''Rāüla vela'' of Roḍa

John Malcolm Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian. Early life Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of Geo ...
mentioned that he removed an inscribed panel from the Kamāl Maula. This appears to be the Rāüla vela of Roḍa, a unique poetic work in the earliest forms of Hindi. This inscription was kept first in
The Asiatic Society of Mumbai The Asiatic Society of Mumbai (formerly ''Asiatic Society of Bombay'') is a learned society in the field of Asian studies based in Mumbai, India. It can trace its origin to the Literary Society of Bombay which first met in Mumbai on 26 November 18 ...
and was later transferred to the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, (CSMVS) originally named Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is a museum in Mumbai (Bombay) which documents the history of India from prehistoric to modern times. It was founded during Brit ...
in Mumbai.


The ''Kūrmaśataka''

Among the inscriptions found by K. K. Lele was a tablet with a series of verses in
Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
praising the Kūrma or Tortoise incarnation of the god
Viṣṇu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. The ''Kūrmaśataka'' is attributed to king
Bhoja Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all h ...
but the palaeography of the record itself suggests that this copy was engraved in the twelfth or thirteenth century. The text was published by Richard Pischel in 1905–06, with a new version and translation appearing in 2003 by V. M. Kularni. The inscription is currently on display inside the building.


The ''Vijayaśrīnāṭikā''

Another inscription found by K. K. Lele is part of a drama called ''Vijayaśrīnāṭikā'' composed by Madana. The preceptor of king
Arjunavarman Arjunavarman (reigned c. 1210-1215 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, who ruled in the Malwa region of central India. Military career Arjuna succeeded his father Subhatavarman, and invaded the kingdom of the Chaulukyas of Guj ...
, Madana bore the title 'Bālasarasvatī'. The inscription reports that the play was performed before Arjunavarman in the temple of
Sarasvatī Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a go ...
. This suggests that the inscription could have come from the site of a Sarasvatī temple. The inscription is currently on display inside the building.


Grammatical inscriptions

The building also contains two serpentine grammatical inscriptions. These records prompted K. K. Lele to describe the building as the Bhojśālā or Hall of Bhoja because king Bhoja was the author of a number of works on poetics and grammar, among them the ''Sarasvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa'' or 'Necklace of Sarasvatī'. The term Bhojaśālā was taken up by C. E. Luard and published in his ''Gazetteer'' of 1908 although Luard noted that it was a misnomer. That the term Bhojśālā is due to Lele is shown by the writing of William Kincaid, in his "Rambles among Ruins in Central India," published in the ''Indian Antiquary,'' in 1888. This makes no mention of the term Bhojśālā, noting only the ''Akl ka kua'' or "Well of Wisdom" in front of the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn. Kincaid was a cynical observer but in any case the absence of the term Bhojśālā in his text indicates was "no living tradition about the Bhojālā in the middle decades of the nineteenth century" among those with whom he interacted.


Sarasvatī

After Lele and Luard had identified the Bhojaśālā with the Kamāl Maula, O. C. Gangoly and K. N. Dikshit published an inscribed sculpture in the British Museum, announcing that it was Rāja Bhoja's Sarasvatī from Dhār. This analysis was broadly accepted and had a significant impact. The statue in the British Museum was often identified as Bhoja's Sarasvatī in the years that followed. The inscription on the sculpture mentions king Bhoja and Vāgdevī, another name for Sarasvatī. The word 'Vāgdevī' literally means the goddess of speech, articulation and learning. However, later study of the inscription by Indian scholars of Sanskrit and Prakrit languages, notably
Harivallabh Bhayani Harivallabh Chunilal Bhayani (26 May 1917 – 11 November 2000) was a linguist, researcher, critic and translator from India. Biography Bhayani was born on 26 May 1917 in Mahuva to Dasa Shrimali Jain Sthanakvasi family of Chunilal. His paren ...
, demonstrated that inscription records the making of a sculpture of Ambikā after the making of three Jinas and Vāgdevī. In other words, although Vāgdevī is mentioned, the inscription's main purpose is to record the making of an image of Ambikā, i.e. the sculpture on which the record is incised.


Text and Translation

(1) auṃ , srīmadbhojanāreṃdracaṃdranagarīvidyādharī
dha DHA, Dha and dha may refer to: Chemicals * Docosahexaenoic acid, a 22:6 omega-3 fatty acid * Dehydroandrosterone, an endogenous androgenic steroid * Dehydroascorbic acid, an oxidized form of ascorbic acid * Dehydroacetic acid, a pyrone derivati ...
rmmadhīḥ yo ----- amaged portionkhalu sukhaprasthāpanā- (2) y=āp(sa)rāḥ vāgdevī prathama vidhāya jananī pas āj jinānāṃtrayīm ambā nityaphalā(d)ikāṃ vararuciḥ (m)ūrttim subhā ni- (3) rmmame ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml"_;"title=", ]_iti_subhaṃ_, , _sūtradhāra_sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa_ghaṭitaṃ_, , _vi_ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ , * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_district>, iti_subhaṃ_, , _sūtradhāra_sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa_ghaṭitaṃ_, , _vi_ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ , * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", *] Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", ] iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 , * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 , * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", ] iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml"_;"title=", ]_iti_subhaṃ_, , _sūtradhāra_sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa_ghaṭitaṃ_, , _vi_ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ , * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_district>, iti_subhaṃ_, , _sūtradhāra_sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa_ghaṭitaṃ_, , _vi_ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ , * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", *] Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", ] iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 , * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 , * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml"_;"title=", ]_iti_subhaṃ_, , _sūtradhāra_sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa_ghaṭitaṃ_, , _vi_ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ , * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_district>, iti_subhaṃ_, , _sūtradhāra_sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa_ghaṭitaṃ_, , _vi_ñāika_sivadevena_likhitam_iti_, , (4)_saṃvat_100_91_ , * Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", *] Auṃ._
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
,_King_Bhoja's_religious_superintendent_(''Dharmmadhī'')_of_the_Candranagarī_and_Vidyādharī_ ranches_of_the_Jain_religion_the_apsaras_
s_it_were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for_the_easy_removal_ f_ignorance?_by...?_that_Vararuci,_having_first_fashioned_Vāgdevī_the_mother_ ndafterwards_a_triad_of_Jinas,_made_this_beautiful_image_of_Ambā,_ever_abundant_in_fruit._Blessings!_It_was_executed_by_Maṇathala,_son_of_the_''sūtradhāra''_Sahira._It_was_written_by_Śivadeva_the_proficient._Year_1091.


_Iconography

The_identification_of_the_British_Museum_sculpture_as_Ambikā_is_confirmed_by_the_iconographic_features_which_conform_to_Ambikā_images_found_elsewhere._A_particularly_close_comparative_example_is_the_Ambikā_in_
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
_dating_to_the_eleventh_century._Like_the_Dhār_sculpture,_the_Sehore_image_shows_a_youth_riding_a_lion_at_the_foot_of_the_goddess_and_a_figure_with_a_beard_standing_at_one_side. The_inscription_on_the_statue_in_the_British_Museum_indicates_that_the_Vāgdevī_at_Dhār_was_dedicated_to_the_Jain_form_of_Sarasvatī._However,_the_Vāgdevī_mentioned_no_longer_exists_or_is_yet_to_be_located._Merutuṅga,_who_wrote_in_the_early_fourteenth_century,_indicates_that_Bhoja's_eulogistic_tablets_in_the_Sarasvatī_temple_were_engraved_with_a_poem_dedicated_to_the_first_Jain_Tīrthaṃkara,_but_these_tablets_too_have_not_been_located.


_Current_status

The_building_is_a_ Protected_Monument_of_national_importance_under_the_laws_of_India_and_is_under_the_jurisdiction_of_the_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_ The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_(ASI)_is_an_Indian_government_agency__that_is_responsible_for_archaeological_research_and_the_conservation_and_preservation_of_cultural_historical_monuments_in_the_country._It_was_founded_in_1861_by__Alexande_...
._Both_Hindus_and_Muslims_claim_the_site,_and_use_it_for_their_prayers._According_to_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_guidelines,_Muslims_can_pray_on_Friday_and_Islamic_festivals,_Hindus_can_pray_on_Tuesday_and_on_the_festival_for_goddess_Sarasvatī,_namely_Vasant_Panchami_ Vasant_Panchami,_also_called_Saraswati_Puja__in_honor_of_the_Hindu_goddess_Saraswati,_is_a_festival_that_marks_the_preparation_for_the_arrival_of_spring._The_festival_is_celebrated_in_Indian_religions_in_different_ways_depending_on_the_region._...
._The_site_is_open_to_visitors_on_other_days. The_disputes_about_the_site_were_prompted_by_the_inscriptions_and_the_information_they_provide_about_historic_Indian_religions,_particularly_Hinduism_and_Jainism._Data_about_Jainism_comes_from_texts_and_a_statue_of_the_goddess_Ambikā_that_is_now_housed_in_
British_Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
._The_area_beside_the_Bhojśālā_has_four_Islamic_tombs_of_
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
_saints._The_most_important_is_the_tomb_of_Kamāl_al-Dīn_(''circa''_1238-1330),_famous_
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
_saint,_who_tomb_was_rebuilt_under_the_
Malwa_Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
._Architecturally,_the_Bhojshala_is_earlier_in_date,_and_appears_to_be_a_hypostyle_hall_built_of_temple_parts_in_the_1300s_in_a_manner_similar_to_the_Quwwat-ul-Islam_in_the_
Qutb_Minar_complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
,_Delhi. Conflicts_arise_when_the_Vasant_Panchami_falls_on_Friday._The_Archaeological_Survey_of_India_attempts_to_assign_hours_to_both_Hindus_and_Muslims_on_such_days._However,_this_been_a_source_of_communal_conflict_and_occasional_disturbance_when_the_religious_group_scheduled_for_the_earlier_time_slot_refuse_to_vacate_the_premises_in_time_for_the_next.Bhojshala-Kamal_Maula_mosque_row:_What_is_the_dispute_over_the_temple-cum-mosque_all_about?
_India_Today,_Shreya_Biswas_(February_12,_2016)


_See_also

*_
Ayodhya_dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


_Notes


_References


_External_links


Archaeological_Survey_of_India

British_Museum,_collections_online



_Research_Resources


Internet_ArchivesJain_Studies_Newsletter,_SOAS,_London
*{{cite_book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic_Society Dhar History_of_Madhya_Pradesh Medieval_Hinduism Paramara_kingdom Bhoja Tourist_attractions_in_Dhar_districthtml" ;"title=", ] iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 , * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, iti subhaṃ , , sūtradhāra sahirasutamaṇathaleṇa ghaṭitaṃ , , vi ñāika sivadevena likhitam iti , , (4) saṃvat 100 91 , * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district>, * Auṃ.
Vararuci Vararuci (also transliterated as Vararuchi) () is a name associated with several literary and scientific texts in Sanskrit and also with various legends in several parts of India. This Vararuci is often identified with Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana is ...
, King Bhoja's religious superintendent (''Dharmmadhī'') of the Candranagarī and Vidyādharī ranches of the Jain religion the apsaras
s it were S, or s, is the nineteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...
for the easy removal f ignorance? by...? that Vararuci, having first fashioned Vāgdevī the mother ndafterwards a triad of Jinas, made this beautiful image of Ambā, ever abundant in fruit. Blessings! It was executed by Maṇathala, son of the ''sūtradhāra'' Sahira. It was written by Śivadeva the proficient. Year 1091.


Iconography

The identification of the British Museum sculpture as Ambikā is confirmed by the iconographic features which conform to Ambikā images found elsewhere. A particularly close comparative example is the Ambikā in
Sehore Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal. History Sehore stands at the f ...
dating to the eleventh century. Like the Dhār sculpture, the Sehore image shows a youth riding a lion at the foot of the goddess and a figure with a beard standing at one side. The inscription on the statue in the British Museum indicates that the Vāgdevī at Dhār was dedicated to the Jain form of Sarasvatī. However, the Vāgdevī mentioned no longer exists or is yet to be located. Merutuṅga, who wrote in the early fourteenth century, indicates that Bhoja's eulogistic tablets in the Sarasvatī temple were engraved with a poem dedicated to the first Jain Tīrthaṃkara, but these tablets too have not been located.


Current status

The building is a Protected Monument of national importance under the laws of India and is under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
. Both Hindus and Muslims claim the site, and use it for their prayers. According to Archaeological Survey of India guidelines, Muslims can pray on Friday and Islamic festivals, Hindus can pray on Tuesday and on the festival for goddess Sarasvatī, namely
Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...
. The site is open to visitors on other days. The disputes about the site were prompted by the inscriptions and the information they provide about historic Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Jainism. Data about Jainism comes from texts and a statue of the goddess Ambikā that is now housed in
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
. The area beside the Bhojśālā has four Islamic tombs of
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints. The most important is the tomb of Kamāl al-Dīn (''circa'' 1238-1330), famous
Chishti The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufism, Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Ch ...
saint, who tomb was rebuilt under the
Malwa Sultanate The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa, Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It w ...
. Architecturally, the Bhojshala is earlier in date, and appears to be a hypostyle hall built of temple parts in the 1300s in a manner similar to the Quwwat-ul-Islam in the
Qutb Minar complex The Qutb Minar complex are monuments and buildings from the Delhi Sultanate at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. Construction of the Qutub Minar "victory tower" in the complex, named after the religious figure Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, ...
, Delhi. Conflicts arise when the Vasant Panchami falls on Friday. The Archaeological Survey of India attempts to assign hours to both Hindus and Muslims on such days. However, this been a source of communal conflict and occasional disturbance when the religious group scheduled for the earlier time slot refuse to vacate the premises in time for the next.Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque row: What is the dispute over the temple-cum-mosque all about?
India Today, Shreya Biswas (February 12, 2016)


See also

*
Ayodhya dispute The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The issues revolve around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the ...


Notes


References


External links


Archaeological Survey of India

British Museum, collections online



Research Resources


Internet ArchivesJain Studies Newsletter, SOAS, London
*{{cite book, last=Acharya, first=Merutunga, title=Prabandhacintamani, url=https://archive.org/stream/bibliothecaindi04indigoog#page/n8/mode/1up, year=1902, publisher=Asiatic Society Dhar History of Madhya Pradesh Medieval Hinduism Paramara kingdom Bhoja Tourist attractions in Dhar district