Madras HC prescribes dress code at temples

[prasad1]

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[h=2]It will be dhoti or pyjama for men, sari, half sari or churidhar for women.[/h]
In a significant judgment, the Madras High Court Bench here on Tuesday prescribed a dress code for men, women and even children wanting to visit temples maintained by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department across the State.
Justice S. Vaidyanathan ordered that from January 1 men should wear a “dhoti or pyjama with upper cloth or formal pants and shirts” to temples and women should wear “a sari or a half sari or churidhar with upper cloth.” Children could wear “any fully covered dress.”
He directed the HR and CE Commissioner to issue a circular to all temples under his jurisdiction to strictly adhere to the dress code.
However, temples where men were prohibited from wearing an upper cloth could continue the practice, he clarified.
The judge also said that his order should be followed as an interim measure till the State government takes a policy decision as expeditiously as possible to prescribe a similar dress code in order to enhance the spiritual ambience among devotees.
“The temples which are not coming within the purview of the Government shall enforce their own dress code… Police shall not allow devotees inside any Hindu Temple of Tamil Nadu who wear dresses other than the one prescribed,” the judge ordered.
Observing that the object of imposing dress code was to restrict devotees who visit temple in “improper clothing,” the judge said that all religions, including Christianity and Islam, prescribe a decent, neat and disciplined dress code for worshipping their respective Gods.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...e-at-temples/article7938275.ece?homepage=true

I applaud the judge's decision, except for the exception of bare upper body. I hope other states also follow similar rules.

 

[krish44]

It is job of the courts to deliver justice. There is a huge backlog of cases in all courts.

When courts start pronouncing on dress codes in temples it is revolting.

Arbitrating on religious rituals or dress is hardly in courts domain.

I am wondering who went to court for arbitration on such an issue.

So much time of courts and parliament is wasted on frivolous issues when more urgent mattes require their attention.

 

[sangom]

A similar (even identical) topic had been there recently, in this forum. As I had written there, if people go to temples as a result of their overflowing "bhakti" towards a certain god or the idol in the sanctum sanctorum, then how others come dressed, should not at all be a matter of concern. People may come wearing only a 'kaupeenam' or a 'bikini & bra' according to their choice.

Even if it is agreed that people go to temples only for sight seeing, just as they go to beaches or other sight-seeing places, then also skimpy and revealing dress should be of no concern because only complete nudity is disallowed even in such places. The problem arises because temple-going seems to be like an attempt to "milk an ox"! and create the so-called spiritual ambience somehow, when, in the first place, it does not exist in the temples at all!

In any case, I am against the judiciary poking its nose in religious matters when our Constitution says it is a secular country. (secular = not connected with religious or spiritual matters)

 

[prasad1]

In any case, I am against the judiciary poking its nose in religious matters when our Constitution says it is a secular country. (secular = not connected with religious or spiritual matters)

That part of the constitution has been more or less changed. When the Hindu devestana board was created. When government can get involved in temple matters, then courts must follow.

Yes I too want the government and courts to keep out of religion.
But uniformity in dress code is required, otherwise these temple organizers are involved in all schemes to rob the devotees every which way they want. The new(?) dress code in Trivandrum temple is that you have to buy a dhoti from the shops in front of temple. Earlier you could wrap the dhoti over your pant, but now you can have pant, so you must rent a locker. It is all the means of fleecing the devotees.

 

[tbs]

hi

i recently visited thirumala/thirupathi temple last month...now new dress code for men...dhoti with shirt....i saw many north

indians buying dhoti in thirupathi....nice business with new dress code....so these rule will be benefitted for somebody...

 

[sangom]

That part of the constitution has been more or less changed. When the Hindu devestana board was created. When government can get involved in temple matters, then courts must follow.

Yes I too want the government and courts to keep out of religion.
But uniformity in dress code is required, otherwise these temple organizers are involved in all schemes to rob the devotees every which way they want. The new(?) dress code in Trivandrum temple is that you have to buy a dhoti from the shops in front of temple. Earlier you could wrap the dhoti over your pant, but now you can have pant, so you must rent a locker. It is all the means of fleecing the devotees.

I am not very familiar with the circumstances under which the govts., got involved in temple management and control of the waqf boards of Muslims. Such interference has been totally absent in affairs of Christianity, however! These two actions should not be taken to mean the dilution of the secular nature envisaged for the government, I feel.

Even historically, hindu temples have been known to be amassers of incredible amounts of wealth and also for a large amount of misuse and diversion of those temple funds for the benefit of powerful individuals in the managements of those temples. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Tiruvananthapuram is suffering from the very same disease/symptoms, I feel. But dress codes for temples and courts deciding on this, looks rather incongruous to me.

 

[Jaykay767]

Temple Priest’s direction is “veda vakku” & is final. So either “shape up” or “ship out” - follow their dress code or just buzz off. !!

If you don’t believe in it, then don’t bother to come to temples ?. if this continues, fools will want to come in any dress they want, & do all kinds of “asingham” in our temples. LOL.

Govt needs to shut up, it has no role in religion!