The dispute over worship rights and the alleged discovery of a Jain idol at the 14th-century Bharuch Jami Masjid has reached the Gujarat High Court, with five petitioners seeking protection for the idol and permission for Jain community members to worship at the protected monument.
The petitioners have urged the court to direct the authorities to protect an idol they identify as that of Lord Mallinath, the 19th Jain Tirthankar. They told the court that the idol was discovered during an inspection of the mosque’s basement earlier this year and expressed concern that it could be damaged or destroyed amid the controversy surrounding the monument.
The issue had earlier led local Hindu and Jain groups to hold a rally. The Archaeological Survey of India subsequently asked the Bharuch district collector to ensure the monument’s protection, citing concerns over a possible untoward incident amid communal tension, according to the report placed before the court.
The petitioners, including local residents Harishankar Jain and Rahul Dewan, have argued that the idol is highly sacred to the Jain community and that its members should be allowed to worship at the site. Their counsel submitted that denying access could increase the risk to the idol’s safety.
The petitioners also told the court that the Archaeological Survey of India declared the Jami Masjid a protected monument in 1909 and that it has the status of a monument of national importance. The structure is currently governed by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The petitioners cited the law’s restriction on changing the character of a protected monument while seeking action to safeguard the idol.
The mosque is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Ghiasuddin Tughlaq in the 14th century. The case therefore places questions of religious access, conservation and the management of a protected heritage structure before the court, while the monument remains under heightened attention from local groups and authorities.
Government pleader G H Virk told the court that he found some merit in the petitioners’ case. Justice Nisha Thakore has posted the matter for further hearing on Friday. The Centre, the Archaeological Survey of India, the Gujarat government and the managing committee of the Jami Masjid have been made respondents in the proceedings.
