The Dwarakadhish Temple in Dwaraka in Gujarat, the main pilgrimage site of Hinduism where thousands of devotees visit every day for darshan, has banned devotees wearing short clothes from entering the temple. The temple management has decided not to allow entry for devotees coming for darshan wearing short clothes. This decision has been implemented by the Devasthan Committee. Banners have been put up outside the temple instructing visitors to enter the temple wearing clothes that adorn Indian culture and maintain the dignity of the temple.
According to reports, the banners have been put up at different places outside the Dwarakadhish temple, a symbol of the faith of crores of people, in the three languages of Hindi, English and Gujarati. Devotees have been informed to come to the temple wearing clothes that suit the Indian culture instead of wearing short clothes.
The banner reads, “All Vaishnavas visiting Sri Dwarakadhish Jagat Mandir are requested to wear clothes suitable to the Indian culture or to enter the temple premises by wearing clothes that maintain the dignity of the Jagat Mandir.”
The board outside the temple reads, “The temple is a place of darshan, not an exhibition of one’s own. All the devotees coming to the temple are requested to enter the temple wearing plain clothes. People wearing short clothes, half pants, bermudas, mini tops, mini skirts, night suits, frocks, and ripped jeans will not be allowed to enter the temple.”
Regarding the dress code, Dwarkadhish Temple Trustee Parth Talsania said, “This decision has been taken only after complaints from many devotees visiting the temple. This time, many people said that wearing such clothes distracts the attention of other devotees. Due to this, the dress code is now being implemented in many temples of the country.”
After the Dwarakadhish Temple, a similar decision was taken by the Ranchhodraiji Temple of Dakor. Dakor Temple Trust, a famous pilgrimage site in the Kheda district of Gujarat, banned men and women wearing short dresses from coming to the temple. A notice in this regard has been put up in the temple. The notice reads, “All Vaishnava brothers and sisters visiting Dakor temple are appealed not to enter the temple wearing short clothes.”
It is notable that recently the dress code was also implemented in three temples of Uttarakhand. Earlier, the dress code has also been implemented in the Radha Rani Temple of Mathura. After this, the same rule has been implemented in many temples of UP, Madhya Pradesh. Devotees have been appealed to follow Hindu culture and not to wear distracting and small clothes in the temples.
In many temples of the country, devotees are instructed to come to the darshan by covering 80% of the body. For the last few years, rules have been framed not to wear certain costumes in temples in order to maintain the dignity of Indian culture, as the youth of the society has become obsessed with the dressing styles of Western culture. According to the people, such decisions show awareness towards Indian culture.
Earlier, devotees were appealed by two temples in Jammu and Jaipur not to come wearing short clothes. The priest of a temple in Jammu had issued guidelines regarding the attire for the devotees coming there for darshan. Devotees were asked to come inside the temple with their heads covered. Along with this, wearing short clothes was also banned in the temple. The Baawewali Mata Temple in Jammu urged devotees to cover their heads and refrain from wearing shorts, capri pants, etc. inside the premises. The Jharkhand Mahadev temple in Rajasthan’s Jaipur district also implemented a similar dress code for devotees.
