No Shorts-Minis? Local Temple Imposes ‘Dress Code’
Ranaragini, a woman-only Hindutva outfit has urged the management of Shree Mangaladevi Temple-Mangaluru to implement a “Dress Code” for visitors.
Mangaluru: Next time you plan on visiting the famous Shree Mangaladevi Temple in the City, you better dress neat and decent-no shorts, no mini-skirts and in-decent dress. Following a demand by Ranaragini, a woman-only Hindutva group formed in April, the renowned Shree Mangaladevi temple in this coastal city of Karnataka has made a move to put in place a ‘dress code’ for temple visitors.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, one of the Temple Trustee said, ” At present we have not decided yet to make the rule/dress code strict/compulsory, even though our temple which is the ‘A’ grade temple under the Endowment Department having displayed a notice in our premises asking devotees to follow a ‘dress code’, but without defining it. We have seen lately youngsters visiting the temple in shorts/mini skirts like they are going to a beach or a picnic. We want to bring to their notice and awareness, that a temple is place of worship, and dressing neatly is a must. There is no compulsion for devotees to wear a certain dress, but the temple expects them to cover themselves fully”. “However, if anybody comes in a short dress, he or she will not be sent out,” he said, adding that the purpose of displaying the board was to make devotees follow the code “voluntarily”.
It is learnt that Ranaragini had presented a memorandum to the temple management committee on June 10 and the temple displayed the board at the entrance on July 8. As per a member of the women outfit, they had launched this movement to implement a dress code in temples to maintain “sanctity.” – A similar memorandum had been submitted to Kavoor Mahalingeshwara temple, which was yet to display a board. The group had plans to submit the memorandum to Sharavu Mahaganapathi temple in the city.
But in the meantime, G. Hanumantha Kamath, social activist and president of Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti-Mangaluru speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “The temple had given scope for “unnecessary exchange of words between the temple staff and devotees. By doing this the board had created confusion among devotees. Let them clearly state what kind of dress people should wear under their dress code . Otherwise, the board should be removed,”.
Indeed a good move and this should be applied in every temple of Mlore city. Temples are places of worship and is not a place to show cast one’s dressing aspects. I myself have seen many women visiting the temple with indecent dress, which off course does not severe our purpose of temple visit and that disturbs our praying peace. We need to follow the regulations in temples like Horanadu and Kollur. Despite caste and religion, one has to follow strict dress code including the men, who have to remove their shirts, before entering the scared place to have the… Read more »
In a historically inaccurate statement which has come as a surprise for many, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that skirts have been a part of Indian culture. Addressing an event held to mark the return of Indian cultural property in Washington, he said that two thousand years ago, artists had made sculptures at the Konark Sun Temple resembling the modern fashionable girl who wears skirts and carries a purse. The prime minister believes that the 13-century Sun Temple shows ‘modern fashionable girl wear who wears skirts and carries purses’. His statement has been termed as factually incorrect because according to… Read more »