Somnath Non-Veg Food Ban: Gujarat HC Division Bench Stays Single Judge's Order

A ban on non-vegetarian food near the Somnath temple in Gujarat will remain in force after a division bench of the Gujarat High Court stayed a single judge’s order that had struck down the restrictions earlier on Friday. The development came within hours of the initial ruling, following an urgent appeal by the state government.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak and Justice Nirzar Desai stayed the judgment delivered by Justice Nisha Thakore and directed that the Gujarat government’s notification prohibiting the sale of non-vegetarian food would continue until further orders.

The bench has scheduled the next hearing for December 26.

Earlier on Friday, Justice Thakore had allowed petitions filed by hotel and restaurant owners operating near the temple in Gir Somnath district, setting aside the Collector’s notification dated August 10, 2026.

The notification prohibits the preparation, storage and sale of non-vegetarian food within 500 metres of the Somnath temple. It also extends the restrictions to six specifically identified roads connecting important religious destinations along the Somnath pilgrimage circuit.

Hotel and restaurant owners challenged the restrictions, arguing that the ban violated their fundamental right to conduct a lawful business and earn a livelihood.

Opposing the petitions, the state government argued that the constitutional right to carry on a business did not guarantee unrestricted commercial activity at every location, regardless of its religious, historical and cultural significance.

The government maintained that Somnath is not an ordinary commercial town but a place of extraordinary spiritual importance for millions of Hindus.

With the division bench staying the single judge’s ruling, the restrictions will remain operational while the legal challenge continues.