Devotees visiting Jagannath temple will have to dress decently
Worshippers wearing half-pants, ripped jeans, and sleeveless dresses will be barred from entering the temple
By Saroj Kumar Behera
Puri, Oct. 11: Devotees visiting Lord Jagannath temple at Puri in Odisha will now have to dress themselves decently to offer prayer at the shrine.
Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the governing body of the temple, has announced that a ‘decent attire’ rule has been framed to ensure that the devotees come with modest clothes to maintain the sanctity of the place.
The new rule will come into force from January 1, 2024.
As per the new dress rules, devotees wearing half-pants, ripped jeans, and sleeveless dresses will be barred from entering the temple.
The new dress rule was framed after many youngsters were found entering the shrine with skimpy clothes. Some of these youngsters were also seen making reels and uploading them on social media platforms, evoking strong criticism from Jagannath cult practioners.
Lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad throng the holy Hindu shrine everyday.
As per the decision, the devotees visiting the temple will be sensitised about the new rule through awareness drives. The Jagannath Temple Police and Pratihari servitors will check adherence to the rule.
“Devotees are requested to 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,” said Ranjan Kumar Das, chief administrator of SJTA.
Srimandir managing committee member, Madhav Mohapatra said, “The SJTA requests the devotees to come to the temple wearing proper dress congruous to the temple atmosphere. The rule will be followed strictly from January 1. Anyone found coming to the temple wearing inappropriate attire would be debarred from entering the shrine.”
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has already made the dress code compulsory for servitors from October 20, 2021. As per the dress code, all the servitors have been directed to wear Dhoti, towel, and Patta while performing puja.
