Ayodhya tightens food ban near Ram Temple

The Ayodhya district administration has tightened restrictions on the sale and delivery of non-vegetarian food near the Ram temple.

Authorities have prohibited the delivery of non-vegetarian food items within a 15-kilometre radius of the temple complex.

Homestays and hotels operating in the area have also been warned against serving non-vegetarian food and alcoholic beverages to their guests.

The action followed multiple complaints against online food delivery platforms.

According to officials, these platforms were supplying non-vegetarian food within the Panchkosi Parikrama zone, despite an earlier ban.

Taking note of the violations, the administration decided to extend the restrictions to online deliveries as well.

Ayodhya Assistant Food Commissioner Manik Chandra Singh stated that tourists were accessing non-vegetarian food through online orders even after the ban.

Therefore, authorities imposed a complete prohibition on the online delivery of such items in the restricted area. He added that hotels, shop owners, and delivery companies have been formally notified about the decision.

Furthermore, officials said continuous monitoring would be carried out to ensure strict compliance.

Enforcement teams will keep a close watch on both physical outlets and digital delivery operations to prevent further violations.

However, restrictions on liquor sales appear less effective. In May 2025, the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation announced a ban on the sale of liquor and meat along the 14-kilometre Ram Path, which connects Ayodhya and Faizabad.

Despite the announcement, several liquor shops continue to operate along the route.

A municipal officer said the civic body had successfully removed meat shops from the Ram Path, including those in Faizabad.

However, action against liquor vendors requires approval from the district administration. As a result, the ban on liquor sales has not been fully enforced so far.

The contrasting implementation has raised questions about regulatory consistency.

While food-related restrictions have been strengthened, authorities have yet to ensure similar action against liquor outlets in the designated zones.

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