In anticipation of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Lord Ram's idol in the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to observe a half-day holiday and declare a 'dry-day' on Monday, January 22.
The Commissioner Secretary General Administration Department (GAD) of Jammu and Kashmir, Sanjeev Verma, stated, "It is with this order that a half-day public holiday (till 02:30 pm) shall be observed on January 22 in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir," as reported by news agency PTI.
Furthermore, the Excise Commissioner of the UT, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, declared a 'Dry Day' on January 22, prohibiting the sale of liquor from retail vends in the Union territory for the entire day.
As per the newly issued orders, all wine shops will close at 9 pm on Sunday, January 21, and resume operations at 9 am on January 23. Additionally, vends and bars in hotels, restaurants, clubs, and banquets are instructed to close at 11 pm on January 21 and reopen at 10 am on January 23.
The excise commissioner's directive emphasized that any prior permissions granted to establishments or private individuals to serve liquor for social occasions on January 22 will be "treated as canceled ab initio."
Notably, the Central government has also announced a 'half-day' for all central government offices, institutions, and industrial establishments across India on January 22.
The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is scheduled for January 22 and is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.
