Odisha bans sale of liquor in 2-km radius of Puri's Jagannath temple
The Odisha government has banned the sale of liquor within a 2-km radius of the Jagannath temple in Puri, state law and excise minister Prithviraj Harichandan said on Monday.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state also planned to ban the sale of meat along the 2.5-km Grand Road, or Bada Danda, where the idols of four deities are placed on chariots and pulled during the annual Rath Yatra, The Telegraph reported.
The road, which connects Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple, is lined with hundreds of hotels.
In a social media post on Monday, Harichandan said: 'The government is taking several steps to make the world-famous Puri a pilgrimage or tourist city and to awaken the religious sentiments of the people.'
A day earlier, the minister said that the decision to enforce the ban was part of the state government's broader initiative to preserve the sanctity of the holy town, PTI reported.
'There will be no liquor shop or bar on the Grand Road,' PTI quoted Harichandan as having said. 'Besides, sale of meat…will also be banned on the Grand Road, which connects Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
35 minutes ago
- India Today
Over 133 lakh students take China's Gaokao, 10x more than India's biggest exams
China came to a halt this Saturday as 13.35 million (133.5 lakh) students sat for the Gaokao 2025 – the national college entrance exam that can make or break careers. Held across thousands of centres, this year's number was slightly lower than 2024, when 13.42 million students took the for being one of the toughest university entrance exams in the world, Gaokao decides who gets into China's top colleges. The pressure? Immense. Outside each centre, crowds of anxious parents waited with snacks, drinks, and even flowers, hoping to cheer their kids interesting is that the number of students that appear for this exam in China is much higher than the number that appeared for the last CBSE Class 12 board exams (16.92 lakhs) or the last JEE Mains (12.58 lakhs) session. The number of participants is more than 10 times than those appearing for the biggest exams in India!SECURITY, AI CAMERAS AND FREE RIDES FOR STUDENTSGaokao day in China is no ordinary day. Cities brought in temporary traffic rules to keep roads around exam halls clear. Many students even got free transport help to reach their centres on some centres used AI-powered cameras to catch anything unusual -- an extra step to avoid cheating and maintain fairness. Police used drones and other high-tech tools to watch over the Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang visited a school in Taiyuan and called for extra safety and fairness during the STILL SEEN AS A DOOR TO A BETTER FUTUREEver since it was brought back in 1977, Gaokao has helped millions move ahead in life. As per Xinhua, 'Gaokao, the unified exam, has transformed millions of lives through merit-based selection.'According to China's education ministry, over 47 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities by 2023. While the gross enrolment rate in higher education has crossed 60%, fresh graduates face tough job prospects due to a slowing economy -- about 12 million students enter the workforce every year.(With PTI inputs) advertisement
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Ex-prez Hamid returns to Bangladesh after medical treatment abroad: Reports
Hamid's departure for Thailand on May 8 prompted a protest by the student group Students Against Discrimination (SAD) as he was allowed to leave the country despite being accused in a murder case. The 81-year-old, who served two terms as president during deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime, arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 1:45 am, news portal Prothom Alo reported. Dhaka, Jun 9 (PTI) Bangladesh's former president Abdul Hamid returned to the country on Monday after receiving medical treatment abroad, according to media reports. Upon his arrival, Hamid was accompanied by his son and brother-in-law, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. He was brought down from the aircraft in a wheelchair, the report said, quoting airport authorities. Earlier, Bangladeshi authorities promised punitive actions against officials who let the former head of state leave the country. Authorities also suspended two police officers and withdrew another from his assignment in airport immigration on charges of 'negligence of duty'. PTI GRS GRS GRS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
CM Mamata Banerjee's election strategy based on 'appeasement politics', says BJP's Sukanta
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 9 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MP Sukanta Majumdar, on Monday, launched a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that her entire electoral strategy is rooted in 'appeasement politics.' In a post on X, Majumdar claimed that Banerjee's political roadmap is centred around two parallel tactics: 'relentless Muslim appeasement' and the 'continuous oppression' of Bengali Hindus. 'The entire game plan of West Bengal's authoritarian Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to win elections rests on one & only strategy,' appeasement politics'. On one side, relentless Muslim appeasement; on the other, continuous oppression of Bengali Hindus and systematic religious persecution all with the sole aim of turning Hindus into a minority and clinging to power at any cost,' he wrote. The post added on X, 'This is the desperate struggle of a failed Chief Minister! Today, the people of Bengal have only one resolve -- to make West Bengal a livable land for Bengali Hindus once again.' The video in the post said, 'We are like two flowers on the same stem - Hindu and Muslim' but now. In today's Bengal, it's only the Muslims who are cherished, while the Hindus are the neglected ones. One flower is being appeased, while the other is being consistently exploited. This is Mamata Banerjee's core political strategy to win elections. Soon, Hindus will become a minority in Bengal. This is the grim future awaiting Bengal's Sanatanis. In Siliguri, communal harmony was shattered by the Chief Minister's pampered vote-bank pawns. Yet, the crackdown selectively targeted Hindus; even violent attacks were unleashed. When people raised slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram' in protest, even the police, acting like party lackeys, were seen issuing threats. A police officer was seen threatening a crowd, 'Keep chanting for now, The real action will be taken at night. Okay? Dare to Say 'Jai Shree Ram' with me at night.' How outrageous is that? Without a trace of fear or shame, spineless police officers stood before the media cameras and threatened the Hindus for saying 'Jai Shri Ram.' One was even seen looking straight into the eyes of protesters and warning, 'Shout Jai Shri Ram' all you want now, we'll take action at night.' In Mamata's Bengal, even chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' has now become a punishable offense. But don't be afraid, the people of Bengal will soon give a fitting response to this one-sided oppression against Hindus under her regime. In Siliguri, the attackers who targeted Hindus have already been identified. and the list has been submitted to the authorities by Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista. He has also appealed to the Governor regarding the matter. This Bengal must be made livable again for Sanatanis. That is now the greatest pledge of the people of Bengal. ' On Saturday, Majumdar also responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent allegations regarding electoral rigging in the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November 2024. Gandhi had claimed that those polls were 'rigged' and suggested a similar pattern would be seen in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Reacting to the Congress leader's statement, Majumdar said, 'The problem with our Opposition is that wherever they win, they say EVMs are right, and where they lose, they say EVMs are faulty and there is match-fixing.' He likened Gandhi's remarks to the excuses of 'kids who do not know how to play the match and then blame the pitch and the umpire.' Taking a dig at the Congress leader, Majumdar added, 'Rahul Gandhi does not know how to play. I wish that his prediction that the states without BJP government will have a BJP rule comes true. A BJP government should also be formed in Bengal according to his prediction.' Majumdar also suggested that Rahul Gandhi should visit West Bengal to witness the state of democracy under the Mamata Banerjee-led government, implying that it would offer him a clearer understanding of the challenges to democratic functioning in the state. (ANI)
