Hazaribagh, Feb. 9: Sale of liquor, poultry and meat at Madhuban, a Jain pilgrim site in Giridih district's Pirtand block, 10km from Parasnath station, has been banned from today in the wake of demands from Jain community leaders to preserve its sanctity.

Yesterday, influential members of Jain community met Giridih SP G. Kranti Kumar at the Yatri Niwas guesthouse in Madhuban and asked him to enforce the blanket ban at the pilgrim site where 20 of the 24 Jain tirthankaras attained moksha, attracting over a lakh tourists from India and abroad annually.

Around 30-40 unauthorised selling points in Madhuban stock liquor, chicken and mutton as well as cooked non-vegetarian items, they said, adding that it sent a wrong message about the pilgrim site.

Agreeing with them, Giridih SP Kumar told The Telegraph that an administrative decision had been taken to ban the sale of the items that were offensive to the sentiments of Jains.

At their meeting with the SP, prominent community members Tarachand Jain, Chhitarmal Patni, Mahavir Jain and others said buying and selling of liquor and animal meat defiled the sacred place and ideological beliefs of the Jains, both residents and pilgrims.

Other communities residing in Madhuban consumed meat and liquor, which went against the spirit of the place, the Jains said.

The Giridih SP added that Pirtand police would monitor whether the ban was being enforced properly at shops and the weekly bazaar in the pilgrim village.

"I have directed Pirtand OC Sriniwas Prasad, under whose jurisdiction the police outpost in Madhuban falls, to take proper action in this regard. Poultry farms will be allowed to work till Birangadda, 2km from Madhuban," Kumar said.

In recent years, the Jain community had been stepping up its demand for a clamp on liquor and animal flesh trade.

On the fate of the liquor shops and poultry and meat sellers, SP Kumar said the police would try to convince traders to stay away from Madhuban.

"The message has already been conveyed today. Still, we will identify all such sellers and personally meet them. If they persist, we will take action against them," Pirtand OC Prasad said.

Prasad added that he would visit the areas of Madhuban twice a day, in mornings and evenings, to enforce the ban.