Mumbai: The federation of temples in Maharashtra has said that the ‘dress code’ for temple entry will be applied across all the temples of the state even as four temples in Nagpur started implementing the decision from Friday.
“The Maharashtra government has started implementing dress code across all the government offices in the state in 2020. Several places of worship, including temples, churches, gurudwaras and mosques, private institutions, schools and colleges, courts and police establishments have their own dress codes. On the similar lines, four temples in Nagpur district have decided to implement the dress code commensurate with the Indian culture in order to maintain the sanctity, etiquette and culture of the temple. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Maharashtra temple federation,” Sunil Ghanwat, coordinator of the federation has said.
Temples which will implement the dresscode from today
The Gopalkrishna Mandir at Dhantoli in Nagpur city, the Sankatmochan Hanuman Mandir at Belori in Saoner, the Shri Brihaspati Mandir at Kanolibara and the hilltop Durgamata Mandir at Manvta Nagar are the four temples where the trustees have decided to implement the dresscode from today onwards.
Trustees of the temple said that devotees have been appealed to help the temple administration to maintain the decorum at the temple and ensure that the Indian culture is followed. A notice too has been displayed at the entrance of every temple appealing devotees to not to wear revealing clothes, they said.
“The Maharashtra Mandir Nyas Parishad, the apex body of trustees of temples across Maharashtra, during its meeting at Jalgaon on February 4 and 5 had resolved in favour of a dress code for temple entry. Now we have just started implementation of the resolution,” Ghanwat added that the ‘Shri Mangalgraha Mandir’ at Amalner in Jalgaon district started implementing the dress code immediately after the meeting in February.
Ghanwat also pointed out that even the Madras High Court has ruled in favour of ‘Satvik dress code for temple entry’ on January 1, 2016, and added that the federation will now write to CM and DyCM about the decision and appeal them to implement the decision in temples controlled by the State Government.
“Temples are meant for religious conduct. Hence priority should be given to religious conduct and not personal freedom at such places,” he said, adding that the implementation of the decision is a process of creating ‘awareness and enlightenment’.
Issues like management of temple funds and government administering the temples too were discussed during the meeting at Jalgaon and soon attempts would be started to build consensus over these issues also, he said.
Dress code followed by…
Gopalkrishna Mandir at Dhantoli in Nagpur
Sankatmochan Hanuman Mandir at Belori in Saoner
Shri Brihaspati Mandir at Kanolibara
Hilltop Durgamata Mandir at Manvta Nagar
-Notice displayed at the entrance of every temple appealing devotees to not to wear revealing clothes
-Devotees appealed to maintain decorum at the temple and ensure that the Indian culture is followed
