RAJA BHOJA PARMARA: Remembering the Scholar King

Raja Bhoja Ranks Among The Great Rulers Of India. Besides His Military Prowess, He Was Renowned For The Extraordinary Construction Works He Sponsored And The Authoritative Texts And Treatises He Authored.His Most Celebrated Architectural Contribution Is The Bhojashala At Dhar (Madhya Pradesh). Built As A Religious/Educational Centre In The 11Th Century, It Was Converted Into The Kamal Maula Mosque In The 13Th Century. Several Officials Of The British Government Confirmed The Popular Belief That The Kamal Maula Mosque Occupied The Site Of Bhojashala. In May 2022, A Petition By The Hindu Front For Justice Demanded That The Bhojashala Site Be Handed Over To Hindus. On 11Th March 2024, The Madhya Pradesh High Court Directed The Archaeological Survey Of India To Conduct A Scientific Survey Of The Bhojashala/Kamal Maula Mosque Complex. On 1St April 2024, The Supreme Court Refused To Halt Scientific Survey Of The Complex, But Advised That No Physical Excavations Were To Be Undertaken That Could Alter The Character Of The Premises. In Its Report, The Asi Concluded There Was Evidence Of A Structure Constructed By Raja Bhoja. The Kamal Maula Mosque Was Built From Parts Of Earlier Temples, And Came Up Some Centuries After The Bhojashala. Some Other Remarkable Structures Credited To Raja Bhoja Include The Bhojeshwar Temple And Bhojpur Lake. So Immense Was The Contribution Of This Paramara Ruler That The City Of Bhopal (Bhojpal) Was Named After Him.Meenakshi Jain Is A Historian Interested In Cultural And Religious Developments In Indian History, On Which She Has Authored Several Books. In 2020, She Was Awarded Padma Sri By The Government Of India For Her Contributions In The Fields Of Literature And Education. In 2025, She Was Nominated To The Upper House Of Parliament.