Correspondent
NewsBits.in
Bhopal: The sale of liquor has been banned in Ujjain during the Simhastha. The state government has decided that the ban would continue throughout the Simhastha conclave.
Alcohol won't be sold or bought in Ujjain and adjoining areas. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took the decision to ban liquor in view of the holy Simhastha.
The Simhastha--the Ujjain Kumbha, started on April 22 and would end on May 21. Incidentally, Ujjain is known across the world for the Kal Bhairav temple, where liquor is served to the deity.
During the Simhastha, the liquor shops will remain closed in Ujjain. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that drinking is a social evil and hence the decision has been taken to ban alcohol during this period.
GRAND START
Simhastha 2016 got off to a grand start with saints of 13 akhadas and lakhs of devotees taking the first holy dip (shahi snan) of the congregation in River Kshipra.
Tight security is in place for the major religious congregation. Among VIPs, former CM Digvijaya Singh also took a dip on the first day of the Kumbh.
