Chewing paan, tobacco banned at Kashi Vishwanath temple

Varanasi, Jan 19: Devotees chewing 'paan' (beetle leaf) and 'gutkha' will be denied entry into the Kashi Vishwanath temple here, an official said on Monday.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the temple Paras Nath Dwivedi said the decision was taken at a review meeting of the committee recently.

The ban on paan and tobacco would be for pilgrims, the temple staffers, the security personnel and even the priests.

The first two violations will invite a reprimand, while the third would lead to a fine. The quantum of fine is yet to be decided.

IANS