Non-Vegetarian Food Banned Around Ram Temple & Panchkosi Parikrama Route In Ayodhya; Online Delivery Also Prohibited

Ayodhya: The sale of non-vegetarian food has been completely banned in the areas surrounding the Ram temple and along the Panchkosi Parikrama route in Ayodhya. The order also applies to online food delivery platforms, officials said.

Hotel owners, guest houses, home stays and online food delivery companies have been formally informed about the decision and warned of strict action in case of violations. The administration said monitoring will be intensified and action will be taken wherever the order is found to be flouted.

The decision has triggered a fresh debate in Ayodhya, with sections of people welcoming the move while others have opposed it. Those against the order argue that what a person eats should be a matter of individual choice, while supporters say the ban is necessary to maintain the religious and cultural sanctity of the temple town.

Assistant Food Commissioner Manik Chandra Singh said the sale of non-vegetarian food was already prohibited around the Ram temple, but complaints were received that some hotels, guest houses and home stays were not following the rules. “We received information that tourists were being served non-vegetarian food ordered online. After this, a ban has now been imposed on online delivery of non-vegetarian food in the Ram temple area and nearby localities,” he said.

He said that on January 8, hotels, guest houses, home stays and online food delivery companies were officially informed about the order. “Strict compliance will be ensured. If anyone violates the order, action will be taken against the hotel owner and the concerned person,” Singh said, adding that the administration would continuously monitor the situation.

Officials also pointed out that the restriction on non-vegetarian food in Ayodhya is not new. The book Ayodhya Revisited by former IPS officer and former secretary of the Amawan Ram temple, Acharya Kishore Kunal, mentions that a ban on the sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food in Ayodhya was imposed during the British period.

According to the book, the then city board of Faizabad had enforced the ban, which continues to remain in force and has never been legally challenged.