MP High Court Urges Consideration of Saraswati Idol’s Return From British Museum

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 17, 2026: A recent ruling by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar has renewed focus on the centuries-old idol of Goddess Saraswati currently housed at the British Museum.

In its judgment declaring Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati or Vagdevi, the court asked the government to consider representations seeking the return of the historic idol from London for reinstallation at the complex.

The bench directed the Archaeological Survey of India to oversee preservation and conservation of the site and noted that the government may examine requests for repatriating the idol.

The four-foot-tall idol, weighing around 250 kg, is believed to have originally stood at the Bhojshala shrine during the reign of King Bhoj in the 11th century. Sanskrit inscriptions carved in Devanagari script on the sculpture are considered historically and archaeologically significant.

Historical accounts state that parts of the Bhojshala complex were damaged during Alauddin Khilji’s invasion in 1305. The idol was reportedly recovered during excavations in 1875 under British rule and later taken to England in 1880, where it has remained since.

The development comes amid India’s continued efforts to reclaim antiquities taken abroad during the colonial era. In recent years, several artefacts have been repatriated to India, including six antiquities returned from Glasgow Museum in 2022.