American fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, popularly known as KFC, has been granted permission to open its outlets in Ayodhya. However, it can sell only vegetarian items in the restricted zone, which is along the Panch Kosi Marg — a 15 km pilgrimage circuit around the Ram Temple area, according to various reports. There will be no restriction on the sale of non-veg items in other areas. In addition to non-veg items, the sale of liquor is also banned in the restricted areas.
“All brands, including KFC, are welcome to open their outlets in Ayodhya. If they open their outlets in the area of Ayodhya where there is a ban on serving and selling non-vegetarian items and liquor, then they will have to sell vegetarian items. There is no restriction in the rest of the area of Ayodhya,” India Today quoted Ayodhya district magistrate Nitish Kumar as saying.
In accordance with the rules and restrictions, KFC has set up its outlet along the Ayodhya-Lucknow Highway.
Vishal Singh, a government official in Ayodhya told Money Control, “KFC has set up its unit on the Ayodhya-Lucknow Highway because we do not allow non-vegetarian food items here [Panch Kosi]. We are ready to provide KFC a space if it decides to sell only vegetarian items.”
“We have offers from big food chains to set up their outlets in Ayodhya. We welcome them with open arms, but there is only one restriction — they should not serve non-veg food items within the Panch Kosi,” he added.
The Panch Kosi Marg happens to house sacred sites associated with the Ramayan and includes the Panch Kosi Parikrama, a 15-kilometre pilgrimage circuit around Ayodhya. Hence, the restrictions.
In addition to KFC, someone called Awadh Kumar Verma also manages a Pizza Hut outlet in the Mall of Awadh, around 8 km away from the Ram Temple, which serves an ‘all-veg’ menu even though it’s outside the Panch Kosi Parikrama Marg’s radius.
“Pizza Hut opened this outlet around three months ago when the consecration date was announced. We are looking for a shop at Ram Path because the crowd is in that area. We are having a fairly good business, but getting a shop there would set the cash counter ticking,” Moneycontrol quoted Verma as saying.
The ban on meat consumption in Ayodhya is not the only example of restrictions at a pilgrimage site. Haridwar, too, enforces a similar prohibition within its municipal boundaries. Consequently, businesses such as KFC are positioned outside the city, specifically along the Haridwar-Roorkee Highway.
Numerous restaurants and eateries have been established in the vicinity of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir after the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol on January 22.