India, May 21 -- Security has been significantly tightened around the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district ahead of the first Friday following the High Court verdict declaring the disputed site a Vagdevi temple. Officials said more than 1,500 police personnel, backed by drones and CCTV surveillance, have been deployed to maintain law and order.

The heightened security comes as the Bhoj Utsav Samiti has called on members of the Hindu community to gather for a collective "Akhand Puja" at the 11th-century Bhojshala complex on Friday, describing it as a historic occasion and claiming it marks the first such event in 721 years.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 15 ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex...