The Bhojshala at Dhar (Madhya Pradesh), believed to have been a centre of Sanskrit learning, was associated with the patronage of the:

The Bhojshala at Dhar, in Madhya Pradesh, is believed to have been a centre of Sanskrit learning and a temple of the goddess Saraswati, founded under the patronage of the Paramara dynasty, especially the famous king Raja Bhoja (ruled about 1010-1055).

About the Bhojshala:

• "Bhojshala" means "the hall of Bhoja".
• According to tradition, Raja Bhoja established it as a college (pathshala) for Sanskrit studies, with a temple of Saraswati (Vagdevi).
• Inscriptions on its walls include Sanskrit works, such as grammatical rules and a play, the "Parijatamanjari" (by Madana, a court poet of a later Paramara king), and Prakrit poems.
• A marble image of the goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), believed to be from Dhar, is in the British Museum, London.
• In later centuries, the building was converted into a mosque (the Kamal Maula mosque).
• It is a protected monument of the Archaeological Survey of India, and its status has been a subject of dispute.

About the Paramaras:

• They ruled Malwa (in present-day Madhya Pradesh) from the 9th or 10th century to the early 14th century.
• Their capital was Dhar (Dhara), and earlier Ujjain.
• They were originally feudatories of the Rashtrakutas.

Raja Bhoja:

• He was the most famous Paramara king.
• He was a great scholar and patron of learning, and is credited with many works on subjects such as poetry, grammar, architecture ("Samarangana Sutradhara"), medicine and yoga.
• He founded the city of Bhojpur (near Bhopal), where he built a huge Shiva temple (the Bhojeshwar temple) and a large lake.
• The city of Bhopal is believed to have been named after him ("Bhojpal").
• He is a legendary figure in folk tales.
• The Paramaras were defeated by Alauddin Khalji's forces in 1305.
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