Gujarat’s government is defending a ban on the sale and storage of non-vegetarian food within 500 metres of the Somnath Temple in the Gujarat High Court. The state argues that the pilgrimage site’s spiritual and cultural importance matters more than individual commercial interests tied to food trade.
The dispute follows a state notification issued in August establishing prohibited zones around the Lord Shiva shrine in Gir Somnath district. Six restaurant owners challenge the directive, saying it violates Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which protects the right to carry on a profession or business.
Outlets frame the core issue as a clash between business rights and the sanctity of a religious destination. The government’s case is that the right to trade is not absolute and should not extend to disregarding the character of a pilgrimage area used by devotees. Coverage focuses on the legal argument and the contested notification, with varying emphasis on which right is at stake.
