KFC in Ayodhya Gets Approval to Serve Only Vegetarian Food

After the inauguration of the Ram Temple, Ayodhya has seen a notable rise in tourists and locals flocking to witness Lord Ram. Domino’s and Pizza Hut in Ayodhya are experiencing a surge in sales, despite their meatless menus. Similarly, KFC, situated along the Ayodhya-Lucknow highway, has been permitted to continue operations in the temple vicinity but must exclusively serve vegetarian dishes. “We are ready to provide even KFC a space if it decides to sell only vegetarian items," Moneycontrol quoted Vishal Singh, a government official in Ayodhya, as saying. “We have offers from big food chain outlets to set up their shops in Ayodhya. We welcome them with open arms, but there is only one restriction, that they should not serve non-veg food items inside the panch Kosi," Singh added.

Ayodhya enforces a strict prohibition on the serving of meat and alcohol within the Panch Kosi Marg. This route encompasses the Panch Kosi Parikrama, a 15-kilometer pilgrimage circuit around Ayodhya, which visits sacred sites associated with the Ramayana. Based on state government projections, Ayodhya is anticipated to witness a weekly influx of 10-12 lakh visitors until Ram Navami on April 17, with continued high footfall expected thereafter. Ayodhya is poised to expand beyond its identity as a temple town with the implementation of 161 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), amounting to over ₹8769.52 crore. These MoUs, signed during the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors' Summit in February last year, will be initiated at a proposed groundbreaking ceremony involving at least 25 state government departments. The upcoming ceremony is expected to increase the number of projects and their total value, further contributing to Ayodhya's development. The state tourism department is set to initiate projects worth over ₹2020 crore, while the housing department will undertake projects valued at ₹3234 crore.