Katra. Every year lakhs of devotees visit to see Mata Vaishno Devi. They have immense respect for Mata Vaishno Devi in their hearts. For the convenience of the devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi, the Katra administration has now taken an important decision. Under this, the sale of cigarettes and tobacco has been banned to maintain purity.
One has to go through Katra to reach the temple of Mata Vaishno Devi. To maintain the sanctity of Mata Vaishno Devi temple and its surroundings, the administration had completely banned the sale of meat and alcohol in Katra. Now, from August 1, cigarettes and tobacco will also not be sold here. Dainik Jagran newspaper quoted Reasi’s District Deputy Commissioner Visheshpal Mahajan as saying that shopkeepers who have stock of cigarettes and tobacco have been given a chance to finish it before August 1. From August 1, strict action will be taken against anyone found selling cigarettes or tobacco in Katra.
There are many religious places in the country where the sale and carrying of intoxicants has been completely banned. Tirupati, a religious place in Andhra Pradesh, is also among them. People visiting Tirupati to see Lord Balaji are not allowed to carry alcohol, tobacco products and even plastic bottles. Apart from this, carrying any kind of intoxicants inside all religious places is also prohibited. Now, in Katra too, the administration has decided to impose a complete ban on cigarettes and tobacco in view of the faith of the devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi. Earlier, in the last 2 years, many religious places had also implemented a dress code for their devotees to maintain faith.