LUCKNOW: Ahead of the consecration of Ram Lalla idol in the garbh-griha (sanctum-sanctorum) of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the Excise Department of Uttar Pradesh government has decided to ban the sale of liquor in the 84-Kosi radius around Ram Janma Bhoomi (RJB) premises housing the new Ram temple.
The announcement to this effect was made by UP Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal after meeting Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Thursday.
The 84-Kosi Parikrama Marg has also been declared a liquor-prohibited area. The decision to ban liquor in the holy city of Ayodhya dates back to 2018 when Yogi Adityanath government renamed Faizabad district as Ayodhya.
Following this, seers and sadhus in the area demanded a ban on alcohol as well as meat to ‘preserve the sanctity of the place'.
UP Excise and Prohibition Minister Nitin Agarwal said: "It was our decision as per the instructions given by CM Yogi Adityanath to ban liquor sale on 84-Kosi Parikrama Marg. We have shifted the shops allotted there and we have completely prohibited liquor sale on that Marg...It's a 150-175 km-long route so we have shifted all the shops to other places."
As per the sources, Ayodhya has a total of 410 liquor shops of which 180 will come under the ambit of the new order. The impact of the order of State Excise Department will be felt in five districts, including Barabanki, Ambedkarnagar, Basti, Gonda and Ayodhya falling in the ambit of 84-Kosi Parikrama area which is 275 km long.
Notably, in June last year, the Yogi government had banned the sale of liquor in and around temples in Ayodhya and Mathura. The Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura are two locations where the government had issued an order prohibiting the sale of alcohol and meat.
The Thursday order pertains to the shops falling in the 84-Kosi parikrama area and the official sources claimed that all such shops would be shifted.
Consequent to the state government order, the district authorities cancelled the licenses of Ayodhya’s booze vendors. The administration of Mathura had ordered the closure of 37 liquor, beer and bhang stores located near temples. In Mathura, the three pubs located in the hotels were shut down.
Meanwhile, just ahead of the inauguration of newly built railways station and Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram Chandra International Airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30, the railway station has been renamed as Ayodhya Dham Junction.
Ayodhya railway station has been expanded and renovated to match the spirit and grace
of the temple town on one hand and meet international standards on the other.
The expansion has been done keeping in mind the expected multi-fold rise in footfall after the consecration ceremony. The new railway station is equipped with all the modern facilities including lifts and the escalators.