Summary: Gujarat High Court’s Division Bench stayed a Single Judge’s order that had allowed a challenge to the meat, fish and non-vegetarian food ban around Somnath Temple. The bench cited the large number of devotees expected during Deepavali and the Gujarati New Year, and noted that counsel could cite no contrary Supreme Court or High Court judgment. The ban under Section 33(1)(w) of the Gujarat Police Act, 1951 stays in force until the returnable date of November 25, 2026, and the merits remain undecided, reports Verdictum.
Why it matters: Somnath is no ordinary temple. It is the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas, rebuilt after repeated destruction, and draws lakhs of pilgrims. Keeping meat out of its surroundings protects its sanctity, and many countries make such accommodations routinely. Sri Lanka shuts meat and liquor shops around the sacred city of Anuradhapura during Poson week, Thailand halts alcohol sales nationwide on Buddhist holy days, Israel bans the public display of leavened bread for sale at Passover, and Germany still bans public dancing on Good Friday. In the Islamic world, such restrictions are not even up for debate, let alone litigation: Saudi Arabia bans alcohol and pork outright, and Mecca is closed to non-Muslims altogether. Only in India does a modest accommodation for Hindu pilgrims end up in court. Some judges, at least, are shedding the colonised lens that treats Hindu sanctity as negotiable.
“Large Number Of Devotees Likely To Visit Somnath Temple During Deepavali: Gujarat High Court Stays Order Quashing Meat Ban Notification” — Verdictum, 31 Oct 2026
The Gujarat High Court has stayed a Single Judge Bench’s order that allowed a challenge to a notification banning meat, fish and non-vegetarian dishes around Somnath Temple, where the notification will now remain in force until the returnable date. It cited the large number of devotees likely to visit during Deepavali and the Gujarati New Year.
The Division Bench passed the interim order on the State’s Letters Patent Appeal, filed the same day the Single Judge ruled. It noted that the respondents’ counsel could not point to a single judgment of the Supreme Court or any High Court taking a contrary view. The Court has not decided the merits of the challenge.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak and Justice Nirzar S. Desai observed, “…considering the aforesaid submission as well as considering the fact that the forthcoming Deepavali and the Gujarati New Year large number of devotees are likely to visit Somnath Temple, the Final Notification dated 10.08.2026 issued by the District Magistrate, Gir Somnath under Section 33(1)(w) of the Gujarat Police Act, 1951 shall remain in force till the returnable date and the order passed by the learned Single Judge in Special Civil Application No. 13977 of 2026 today (30.10.2026) shall remain stayed until further orders”…
Read the full article at Verdictum →
