Dress code for devotees in Jagannath Temple from January 1

The 12th-century Jagannath Puri Temple in Puri will enforce a dress code for devotees from the 1^st of January, said an official on Monday. The decision was taken at the Niti committee meeting after they found that a few people in the temple premises in indecent and inappropriate dresses.

“It is our responsibility to maintain the dignity and sanctity of the temple. Unfortunately, some people have been found visiting the temple without caring about the religious sentiments of others,” said Shree Jagannath Temple Administration chief Ranjan Kumar Das.

“Some people were found in the temple wearing torn jeans pants, sleeveless dresses and half-pants, as if they were strolling on the sea beach or a park. The temple is the abode of God, not a place for entertainment,” he said. The kind of dresses to be allowed will soon be decided, he added.

“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,” Mr Das said.

“Thousands of devotees visit Puri for the darshan of Lord Jagannath”

Senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra said Puri Jagannath temple is an important religious site among four dhams. “Thousands of devotees visit Puri for the darshan of Lord Jagannath. Therefore, implementing a dress code for all devotees is essential to uphold the temple’s spirituality and sanctity,” he said.

The sources from the temple administration said that the temple authorities will start creating awareness about the dress code among the devotees of the temple. They also said that people will not be allowed to wear shorts, sleeveless dresses, torn jeans, half pants inside the temple premises.

Multiple temples and temple authorities across the country from the North to the South and from the East to the West have previously issues such guidelines for dress codes in order to maintain the sanctity of the temple and to make sure that the clothes are not ‘indecent’, ‘inappropriate’ or ‘distracting’.

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