Chaitra Navratri 2025: Yogi Adityanath govt bans sale of meat within 500 metres of religious places

As the nine-day Chaitra Navratri festival begins from Suunday, March 30, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has ordered a ban on the sale of meat within half a kilometre of religious places in the state. The UP government has also ordered closure of illegal slaughterhouses ahead of the Chaitra Navratri festival.

Special restrictions will be imposed for Ram Navami on April 6, when animal slaughter and the sale of meat will be completely banned.

Chaitra Navratri, which begins on the day of Hindu New Year, begins on March 30 and end on April 7.

After the UP government order, the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department Amrit Abhijat has directed all the District Magistrates, Police Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners to immediately close the slaughterhouses and ban on sale of meat.

Citing the orders issued in 2014 and 2017, the Yogi Adityanath government has clarified that illegal animal slaughter and sale of meat near religious places will be completely prohibited.

Under the provisions of the UP Municipal Corporation Act 1959 and the Food Safety Act 2006 and 2011, the Yogi Adityanath government has directed the officials to take strict punitive action against the violators, the statement said.

Meanwhile, a similar order was issued in Maihar district in Madhya Pradesh. The district will turn vegetarian for nine days during Chaitra Navratri.

As the nine-day Navratri celebration begins from April 30, the district has banned the sale of meat, fish and eggs until April 7 keeping the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.

The order to ban the sale of meat, fish and eggs was issued by the district administration under section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which grants the power to issue immediate preventive orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger.