Puri Shankaracharya Against Odisha Govt’s Decision to Serve Liquor at Beach Shacks of Holy City

Puri: Odisha government’s decision to set up beach shacks on the Puri beach to serve liquor to tourists has been opposed by Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati.

The Shankaracharya of Puri Govardhana Peetha condemned the move and said, “Puri is a holy place. It’s known for its spiritualy. Setting up beach shacks will be a disgrace to its spiritual sanctity. It will bring a bad name to Jagannath culture. We do Bhajan, Kirtan, and evening aarti on the seashore. We need not to pollute this atmosphere.”

“It’s a place for spiritual pursuit and religious discourse. The proposal in any form is not acceptable,” he added.

Various organizations of Puri have also opposed BJP government’s proposal to set up the beach shacks serving liquor. They held protest demonstration in front of Shree Jagannath Temple on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to the Puri district collector.

Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has invited bids to set up beach shacks along the coastline, initially from Puri to Konark to promote beach tourism. As per the excise policy, the beach shacks would be set up on beaches, rivers and nearby lakes to promote tourism.

In 2021, the Odisha tourism department had come up with a similar plan to set up beach shacks at six places including Puri sea beach. But the proposal was withdrawn following protests.