Uttar Pradesh government declares 22 January dry day, know what else is prohibited

The inauguration of the prestigious Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is set to be held on January 22. The grand event will witness the installation of the Ram Lalla idol in the temple’s sanctum-sanctorum, also known as the ‘Pran Pratishtha.’ The honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya. To maintain the sanctity of the occasion, several states have declared a ‘dry day’ on January 22, starting with Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh government has issued directives for a dry day as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the ban of liquor sales in the state on the day of ‘Pran Pratishtha.’ He keenly emphasized the fact that January 22, would be celebrated like a national festival. He also declared a holiday for all the educational institutions in the state on January 22. The event will also be live-streamed at thousands of booths and temples across India and will be broadcast live from New York’s iconic Times Square.

A ‘dry day’ is when the sale of alcoholic beverages is not allowed for consumption. This restriction is often put in place for specific occasions, such as cultural holidays or events to promote the idea of respect and sobriety, to mark the significance of the day. Apart from the liquor shops, restaurants and pubs also are not allowed to serve and sell alcoholic beverages.

Meat shops and traders will need to shut their business on January 22, as the state and country will be celebrating the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The National Secretary of All India Jamiatul Quresh, Shahabuddin Qureshi, and its Vice-President Ashfaq Qureshi on Monday submitted a memorandum in this regard to Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak stating that the Pasmanda, Muslim Community has decided to keep all the meat shops shut in Lunknow’s specific areas.

Celebrating the inaugural event on January 22, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the schools and colleges to remain shut down. He also called for all government buildings to be decorated on the same day, with tons of fireworks to be arranged to celebrate the event.

The Bharatiya Janata Party recently won the elections and was the first to ban the sale of alcohol on January 22. Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai announced this decision last week. Next, speaking at a press conference following a cabinet meeting chaired by state’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state decided to declare January 22, as a dry day.