Madhya Pradesh will impose a ban on the sale of liquor in 19 religious cities and select gram panchayats, including the prominent towns of Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, and Orchha, from April 1, 2025. The decision, first announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, was approved by the state cabinet during a meeting held in Maheshwar town, a place closely linked to the revered Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar, on January 24.
As part of the ban, all liquor shops and bars will be shut within the urban limits of:
- Ujjain
- Omkareshwar
- Maheshwar
- Mandleshwar
- Orchha
- Maihar
- Chitrakoot
- Datia
- Panna
- Mandla
- Multai
- Mandsaur
- Amarkantak.
The prohibition will also extend to the gram panchayat limits of:
- Salkanpur
- Kundalpur
- Bandakpur
- Barmankalan
- Barmankhurd
- Linga.
Commenting on the ban, CM Mohan Yadav said, “During our cabinet meeting, we had discussed the anomalies in our religious places. For e.g., in Ujjain, liquor was banned within a 1-km radius only. We decided that it should either be banned in the entire state or not be banned at all. We decided that in religious cities, there should be a complete ban on liquor.”
#WATCH | Indore: On liquor ban at 19 places in the state, MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav says, “During our cabinet meeting, we had discussed the anomalies in our religious places. For e.g., in Ujjain, liquor was banned within a 1-km radius only. We decided that it should either be banned… pic.twitter.com/ayAFsPFblc
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2025
Traditional Liquor Offering To Lord Kaal Bhairav, Devotees In Ujjain To Continue
This sweeping prohibition, however, will not affect the longstanding religious tradition of offering liquor to “Lord Kaal Bhairav” in Ujjain, a key aspect of local customs, news agency IANS reported. Vendors selling liquor offerings to devotees outside the Lord Kaal Bhairav temple will continue to do so, despite the broader ban. The age-old ritual, where devotees present bottles of liquor to the deity, has been an integral part of the city’s spiritual identity for generations.
In 2015, the state government introduced official liquor counters near the temple to regulate prices and protect devotees from unlicensed vendors. These counters, which offered both country-made and imported liquor for religious offerings, will no longer operate as they fall within the municipal limits of the new ban.
“The temple management committee will now ensure the availability of liquor for the deity’s worship,” a senior official from the Excise Department informed IANS. “For generations, devotees have honoured Lord Kaal Bhairav by presenting liquor as an offering, and this tradition will continue.”
The Excise Department official also stated, “This prohibition underscores the government’s commitment to preserving the sanctity of holy cities while allowing traditions to thrive.”
Hundreds of devotees visit the temple daily to participate in this unique ritual, in which the priest pours the liquor into a saucer and places it near the idol of the deity, which features a slit. The liquid disappears as the saucer is tilted, symbolising the deity’s acceptance. A portion of the liquor is then returned to the devotees as sacred Prasad.
With the new excise policy announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, all liquor outlets in the listed towns will be closed, and no new licenses will be issued starting April 1. Despite earlier discussions by Ujjain Collector Neeraj Kumar Singh to retain liquor shops near the temple, the temple committee has been assured that alternative arrangements will be made to maintain the sacred ritual.
