World's first vegetarian city is in India (2024)

FAQs

World's first vegetarian city is in India? ›

In 2014, Palitana became the first city in the world to be legally vegetarian.

The mountainous city of Palitana in India is the world's first vegetarian city. The sale of eggs and meat here is prohibited, as well as the slaughter of animals.

Palitana was declared a totally vegetarian city by the Gujarat Government in 2014.

The earliest records of vegetarianism as a concept and practice amongst a significant number of people are from ancient India, especially among the Hindus and Jains.

It's known for being India's tech capital, but Bengaluru is also arguably the country's best city for vegetarians and vegans, with a truly vibrant meat-free dining scene.

Vrindavan and Mathura are predominantly vegetarian cities, deeply rooted in Hindu culture and beliefs. While it's not common to find meat, eggs, or fish sold openly in these areas due to cultural and religious reasons, it doesn't necessarily mean that non-vegetarians cannot live there.

Jains believe that 23 of the 24 Tirthankaras, all except Neminatha, sanctified Palitana with visits. This makes the site particularly important to the Jain tradition. These temples are reached by most pilgrims and visitors by climbing around 3500 stone steps along a hilly trail.

Palitana temples

The main temple on top of the hill, is dedicated to the first Tirthankara Rishabhanatha (Rishabhadeva). The temples were built by generations of Jains over a period of 900 years, from the 11th century onwards.

Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, roots and tubers, as they are considered ananthkay. Ananthkay means one body, but containing infinite lives. A root vegetable, such as potato, though appearing to be a single object, is said to contain infinite lives.

Which country is 100% non-vegetarian? ›

Which Country is 100% Non Vegetarian? As per our findings, there's no country where 100% of the population is non-vegetarian. However, some countries have a higher consumption of meat because of cultural or religious factors, i.e., China, Brazil, and the USA, among others.

No other country or part of the world has anywhere close to the number of vegetarian people as India, either in percentage of the population or in total number. India is the unique outlier. Going by percentage of the population, Mexico is the second most vegetarian country, at 19%, then Brazil and Taiwan at 14%.

Among the early Judeo-Christian Gnostics the Ebionites held that John the Baptist, James the Just and Jesus were vegetarians. Some religious orders of various Christian Churches practice pescetarianism, including the Benedictines, Franciscans, Trappists, Carthusians and Cistercians.

Hindu scriptures promote a vegetarian dietary ideal based on the concept of ahimsa—non-violence and compassion towards all beings. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 44% of Hindus say they are vegetarian.

All of India's most widely practiced religions have dietary laws and traditions. For example, Hindu texts often praise vegetarianism, and Hindus may also avoid eating beef because cows are traditionally viewed as sacred. Muslim teachings, meanwhile, prohibit pork.

While less than 5% of the population are vegetarians in Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala, it is over 75% in Rajasthan. Geography or where you live is a major contributing factor in your food practices.

Tracing the history of vegetarianism in India, we have come to learn that it was the practice of Jainism, particularly under the 23rd Tirthankar, Vardhaman Mahavira, almost 2,500 years ago, who preached an extreme form of ahimsa, that led to the widespread acceptance of the vegetarian diet in the subcontinent.

Established in 1847, we are the oldest vegetarian organisation in the world.

Punjab, Jammu, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat don't eat non-veg. These vegetarian states in don't even eat vegetables and fruits.