Palanpur: Lakhs of devotees visiting Ambaji for the traditional Bhadarvi Poonam fair beginning Wednesday are staring at hardships following the bitter stand-off between shopkeepers and the district administration and police over the ban on plastic at Gujarat’s biggest religious congregation this year.Nearly 700 shopkeepers in the temple town, who had taken to the streets to protest plastic-free fair, decided their business establishments closed even as devotees have begun trickling in. Their shut-down entered the fourth day on Monday. They are demanding release of nine shopkeepers, who were arrested for rioting last week demanding the the notification on ban be revoked.On Monday, the judicial magistrate’s court in Danta rejected their bail pleas and sent them to judicial custody.The pilgrims woes are likely to be compounded as the owners of guest houses have joined the traders' agitation and stopped taking bookings. Nearly three million people are expected to congregate in Ambaji for the fair, which begins on September 19 and culminates September 25.This is the first time in the history of Bhadarvi Poonam fair that the temple town is witnessing an unrest by locals. Sources said that the traders’ are now adamant on the release of the nine arrested and the issue of plastic ban has taken a back-seat. Those arrested include Gautam Jain, president of the local traders’ association and Jasmin Modi, son of the hotels association president Pravin Modi.Traders claim that the water supply, which is given through private tankers to meet the requirements due to the fair.Sources said water is supplied to about 150 hotels and inns through about 250 water tankers daily for a week. “When the hotels and inns remain closed, water suppliers have no option but to stop their business,” said Rajendra Agrawal, a guest house owner.When contacted, Banaskantha collector Sandip Sagle, who is also the chairman of Shree Aarasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust (SAAMDT) told TOI: “The district administration will take all the steps to ensure that devotees don’t face any hardships.”

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