India: Kamakhya Bans Tobacco Sale, Consumption

Source from:  The Times of India 01/11/2016

To make the historic Kamakhya Temple tobacco-free, Bordeuri Samaj, the body which administers temple proceedings, has banned the sale and consumption of tobacco within the premises of the temple with effect from January this year.

"The Kamkhaya Temple is our identity. It's our responsibility to make it a better place for people who visit it from across the world. So, all traders have unanimously decided to follow this rule set by the doloi (head priest)," Bhupesh Sarma, joint secretary of Bordeuri Samaj told TOI on Friday.

A meeting on the matter took place on January 5.

The area from the main temple to the parking lots below will fall in the no-tobacco zone. "We have also decided to ban plastic items and focus on overall cleanliness," Sarma added. Violators will be strictly punished, he added.

Situated atop the Neelachal Hills in the city, the temple draws lakhs of devotees annually. In June, the temple hosts the Ambubachi Mela that is considered to be the biggest religious congregation in eastern India. Last year, more than 10 lakh devotees visited the temple during the Mela.

Last year, the Kamrup (Metro) District Tobacco Control Cell urged sadhus congregating at Kamakhya during Ambubachi Mela to refrain from smoking marijuana and other forms of tobacco on the temple premises. Sarma, however, said the Bordeuri Samaj's ban was the first of its kind. Enditem