Consortium of K’taka temples pitches for dress code in shrines in accordance with Indian culture

PTI, Jan 11, 2024, 9:18 AM IST

Bengaluru: A consortium of Karnataka temples, maths and religious organisations has mooted the idea of implementing a dress code in accordance with Indian culture in more than 500 temples all over the state, including 50 in Bengaluru.

The consortium has also decided to appeal to the State Hindu Religious Endowments Minister Ramalinga Reddy to implement a dress code in temples under the control of the endowment department.

In a statement, Mohan Gowda, convener of the ‘Karnataka Devasthana-Matha Mattu Dharmika Sansthegala Mahasangha’, said, “Today, when the dress code is enforced in the temples, some progressives, rationalists, proponents of freedom of expression are crying hoarse; but they do not object to the clothes of Christian pastors who wear white trouser robes, mullahs-clerics who wear short pyjamas or Muslim women who wear black veils.”

“Going to temples for darshan of God in loose clothes or non-conventional attire cannot be freedom of expression. Everyone has the individual freedom of what to wear at home and in public; however, temple is a religious place. One should conduct according to righteousness. In a temple premises, it is not the freedom of expression but abiding by ‘Dharma’ is important,” Gowda added.

He claimed that Indian clothes are spiritually more pure and decent when compared with Western ones.

According to Gowda, ‘spiritually pure dress codes’ have been in force for many years in some famous temples such as Mahakaleshwar Temple of Ujjain, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, Ghrushneshwar Temple in Maharashtra, Kashi-Vishweshwar Temple in Varanasi, Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh, the famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala and Mata Temple in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.