In preparation for the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol in the sanctum sanctorum of the forthcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January, the Excise Department of the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to prohibit the sale of liquor within an 84-Kosi radius around the Ram Janma Bhoomi premises, where the new temple is located.

The decision, announced by UP Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal after a meeting with Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, also extends the prohibition to the 84-Kosi Parikrama Marg as reported by The New Indian Express.

This move follows a demand from seers and sadhus in the area to ban alcohol and meat to uphold the sanctity of the holy site.

Nitin Agarwal, the UP Excise and Prohibition Minister, stated, “It was our decision, as per the instructions given by CM Yogi Adityanath, to ban liquor sales on the 84-Kosi Parikrama Marg. We have relocated the shops in that area and have completely prohibited liquor sales on that Marg, which spans 150-175 km.”

The impact of this order will affect a total of 180 out of 410 liquor shops in Ayodhya, with repercussions felt in five districts—Barabanki, Ambedkarnagar, Basti, Gonda, and Ayodhya—that fall within the ambit of the 84-Kosi Parikrama area, covering a distance of 275 km.

This decision is part of the broader initiative by the Yogi Adityanath government, as last year, the sale of liquor was banned in and around temples in Ayodhya and Mathura.

Notably, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura were designated as locations where the sale of alcohol and meat was prohibited.