Gujarat High Court seeks ASI reply on Jain worship plea at Bharuch Jami Masjid

The Gujarat High Court has asked the ASI to respond to Jain petitions over worship rights and protection of the Lord Mallinath idol inside Bharuch's Jami Masjid. The case now tests how a protected monument can be preserved while competing religious claims are examined.Image used for representational purposes onlyAhmedabad,Oct 9, 2026 19:40 ISTThe Gujarat High Court on Friday sought a response from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a set of petitions filed by members of the Jain community seeking the right to worship and immediate protection of the idol of the 19th Jain Tirthankar, Lord Mallinath, kept inside the premises of Bharuch's Jami Masjid.Hearing the matter, the single bench of Justice Nisha Thakore noted that the ASI is under an obligation to protect and preserve ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The court directed the ASI's counsel to take instructions on the submissions made by the petitioners. The matter will next be heard on October 13.In their pleas, the petitioners have asked the court to declare the 14th-century Jami Masjid, listed by the ASI as a centrally protected monument, as Ashvabodh Tirth Shakunika Vihar. They have also sought permission for Jains to perform worship within the monument and an interim direction to seal and protect the signs, symbols, artefacts, idols and other important religious points of Jain worship present there.The petitioners told the high court that they fear damage may be caused to the idol. Relying on a Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment in the Bhojshala case, their counsel pressed for urgent interim orders, saying the idol of Jain Tirthankar Mallinath has been kept in the monument premises where images and artefacts have been damaged. Opposing the plea for immediate relief, the ASI's counsel submitted that the protected monument has so far been maintained strictly in line with the 1958 Act. The high court has now sought the ASI's response on the Jain community's demands for worship rights, protection of the idol and recognition of the site, and will hear the matter again on October 13.- Ends