Puri: The Shri Jagannath temple at Puri is all set to impose a decency code making “decent attire” mandatory for entry into the shrine from January 1, 2024.
The decision was taken at the ‘Niti’ sub-committee meeting after a few people were found in the temple in indecent dresses. Any visitor or devotee not appropriately dressed will be deemed violating the rule and denied entry.
The staff at the temple gate have started to sensitise devotees from Today regarding the decision taken by the temple authority.
SJTA Chief Administrator Ranjan Kumar Das said the decision was taken following a series of complaints about people coming to the temple wearing indecent/inappropriate dresses which goes against maintaining the sanctity of the holy place.
“We request the devotees that they should come to the temple wearing proper clothes. Children below 12 years old with half pants will be allowed into the shrine. But elders wearing half pants, ripped jeans, and sleeveless dresses won’t be allowed. It is a spiritual place and not a park or a beach,” Shri Das said.
Devotees wearing half-pants, shorts, torn jeans, skirts and sleeveless dresses will not be allowed entry into the temple, he said.
The dress code will be strictly enforced inside the temple from January 1, 2024. Security personnel deployed at ‘Singha Dwar’ of the temple, and Pratihari servitors inside the temple have been assigned the responsibility to enforce the code, the SJTA chief said.
Further, the SJTA will write to all the hotels, lodges and guest houses in Puri to inform their guests about the dress code if they plan to visit the shrine.
Several shrines across the country like temples in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have dress codes for devotees prohibiting them from wearing inappropriate clothing while visiting the temples.
