The dispute over an idol reportedly found inside the 14th-century Bharuch Jami Masjid has reached the Gujarat High Court, with five local petitioners seeking immediate protection for the Jain community’s Mallinath idol and permission to worship it on the mosque premises.
The petition concerns the historic mosque in Bharuch, Gujarat, which the petitioners’ lawyer told the court has been protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 1909. The petitioners have argued that the monument is covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and is of national importance.
According to the report by Divya Bhaskar, the petitioners told the court that the law does not permit changes to the original character of a protected monument. They have therefore sought urgent directions to ensure the safety of the idol, which they described as highly sacred to the Jain community.
The state government and the Bharuch district collector also made submissions before the High Court during the hearing. The report said the state’s position was that there appeared to be substance in the petitioners’ arguments. After hearing the submissions of the parties, the court adjourned further proceedings to October 9.
The Union government, the ASI, the Gujarat government and the committee managing the Jami Masjid have been named as parties in the case. Their involvement places the dispute within the administrative framework governing protected monuments, where questions of conservation, access, religious claims and site security intersect.
The controversy began earlier this year after the Mallinath idol was reportedly found during an inspection in the basement of the mosque. Mallinath is identified in Jain tradition as the 19th Tirthankara. The discovery led members of the local Hindu and Jain communities to organise a rally, according to the report.
The development also prompted concerns about security at the monument. The ASI had previously requested the Bharuch collector to ensure tight security at the site to prevent any untoward incident, the report said. The request came amid the dispute and public mobilisation around the reported discovery.
The case now places the protection of the monument and the handling of competing claims before the High Court. Any directions issued in the proceedings could affect how the authorities secure the site, manage access and respond to requests concerning the reported idol while preserving the protected structure’s original character.
