You must've seen "Shiva Bhakts" walking around in orange attires, carrying things on their shoulders, on streets around your home and office of late. These people are kanwariyas, and right now is that time of the year where they do their "religious duties".

Not only has a major chunk of the traffic going in and out of Noida been diverted because of these bhakts' devotion, our food choices are going to be affected too now.

On Wednesday, UP police asked local roadside vendors and restaurant owners in Greater Noida (Dadri) not to serve or prepare non-vegetarian food. Why? Because, kanwar yatra. And kanwariyas prefer only pure vegetarian food.

The police's justification for bringing this into practice this year is that the number of pilgrims returning from Haridwar to Greater Noida has increased this year.

Ram Sen Singh, SHO, Dadri police station, told Times of India, "We have also removed vendors serving non-vegetarian food. They will be off the road till the religious season of kanwar yatra is on."

Yesterday evening, the police even went on inspection of roadside dhabas in Greater Noida and asked dhabas serving non-vegetarian particularly to shut down for one week.

So, basically, any shops or restaurants or dhabas that were offering eggs, chicken, fish and mutton have now been shut down. You can only find vegetarian food on the streets of Greater Noida now.

Ved Nagar, president of Hindu Raksha Dal, a local organisation, told TOI, "We welcome the move of the district administration and police which shows respect to the people's sentiments."