Puri’s centuries-old Jagannath Temple known for its annual Rath Yatra, is poised to get a protective buffer free of liquor and meat. The Odisha government, led by Law and Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, has unveiled a proposal to outlaw alcohol sales within a two-kilometre radius of the shrine and to remove every non-vegetarian outlet from the three-kilometre Grand Road (Bada Danda) that links Jagannath Temple with Gundicha Temple. Officials say the move will reinforce Puri’s standing as a Char Dham pilgrimage hub while giving visitors a more “spiritually immersive” experience. The plan, however, pits devotional sentiment against the livelihoods of scores of local traders.
Why the Government Is Acting Now
- Sanctity first: Harichandan argues that “Puri is a holy city” whose atmosphere should mirror its ritual prestige. Similar calls have been made repeatedly by servitor groups such as the Chhatisa Nijog after episodes of allegedly inebriated visitors disrupting temple decorum.
- Tourism strategy: The ban dovetails with a broader master-plan to market Puri exclusively as a pilgrim destination, distinct from Odisha’s beach-party image in other districts.
Phased Implementation & Legal Hooks
- Phased roll-out: Officials will first issue relocation notices, then offer alternative vending zones outside the cordon. A formal excise notification will follow, giving businesses a grace period that insiders say could run into early 2026.
- Statutory basis: The ban can be enforced under Section 26 of Odisha’s Excise Act (for liquor) and municipal bye-laws governing street-food hygiene – powers the state has used previously in temple precincts in Bhubaneswar and Konark.
Economic & Social Ripple Effects
- Employment: Roughly 500 kitchen and service jobs are tied to the 70 meat-serving outlets.
- Tax revenue: The two liquor outlets contribute an estimated INR 1.2 crore in annual excise duty – small for Odisha’s coffers but vital for Puri municipality’s welfare schemes.
- Urban morphology: Analysts say the Grand Road could morph into a pure crafts-and-prasadam corridor, echoing alcohol-free zones in Haridwar and Rameswaram – both of which saw pilgrim traffic rise but nightlife vanish.
Summing Up
Puri’s proposed alcohol-and-meat cordon marks the state’s most ambitious bid yet to recast the coastal town as a purely devotional landscape. Backers frame it as a return to sacred norms; critics call it an economic gamble. The coming months, when legal drafts are published and vendors negotiate relocation, will reveal whether Odisha can strike the delicate balance between preserving spiritual heritage and sustaining local livelihoods.
