Gujarat defends non-vegetarian food ban near Somnath Temple

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday heard arguments from the state government defending a controversial ban on non-vegetarian food sales around the Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath district. A bench of Justice Nisha M Thakor is hearing a petition challenging the state notification that restricts such commercial activity in the temple's vicinity.

The government contended that Somnath cannot be classified as an ordinary commercial settlement, given its profound religious, historical and spiritual importance to millions of Hindus nationwide. Government pleader GH Virk submitted that commercial rights must be balanced against the sacred character of pilgrimage destinations.

"The right to carry on business cannot be stretched into a right to disregard the religious, historical and cultural character of a pilgrimage destination," the government's counsel argued before the court. The submission underscores the state's position that the ban is justified on grounds of protecting the temple's sanctity and the pilgrim experience.

The Somnath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is among India's most revered Hindu pilgrimage sites. The case highlights the ongoing tension between commercial freedoms and religious preservation in designated sacred spaces across India.