Liquor will no more be served near Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri and Grand Road, venue of annual Rath Yatra, says Odisha Government on Thursday (March 26, 2026).
Announcing new liquor policy, the government said no liquor counter will be allowed to operate around 12th Century Jagannath Temple and Grand Road. Besides, home delivery of liquor around the temple has also been prohibited.
The new policy will remain in force from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2029 or until a new policy supersedes the existing policy. Apart from being major Hindu religious centre in India, Puri is also a prominent tourist place for its beaches.
The government has allowed beach shacks to promote tourism in the State. However, no beach shack can operate within the jurisdiction of Puri Municipality.
“The license for location and the number of beach shacks allowed for serving liquor will be based on the approval given by Tourism Department. The beach shacks will be allowed to operate throughout the year or for a period as decided by Tourism Department, depending on climatic conditions. The operations of the beach shacks will be either through Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) directly or through Beach Shack operators engaged by OTDC,” the policy pointed out.
