Temples in Udaipur impose dress code, govt intervenes

Udaipur: A team from the Devasthan department on Thursday morning reached Udaipur’s 400-year-old Jagdish Temple to take down notices put up a day before prohibiting entry of those wearing short clothes, half-pants, bermudas, mini skirts, night suits, and torn jeans. Similar notices were pasted outside Bohra Ganeshji and Charbhuja temples as well.Dinesh Makwana, president of the city’s Dharmotsav Samiti, said that the notices were put up to ensure that devotees follow Hindu culture. Office bearers of the Jagdish Temple Pujari Parishad said that changing rooms would be made available in the temple premises along with dhoti, saree and Indian attire for people to change to if they come wearing “indecent” clothes.Priests of the Bohra Ganesh temple said they had strictly banned the entry of people wearing short clothes. A similar dress code has been implemented in the Kotri Charbhuja temple since June 12, the committee of priests there said. The committee had placed notices at all the main entrances of the temple, said Sudarshan Gadodia, president of the temple trust. Jatin Gandhi, assistant commissioner at the Devasthan department, said that the notices were put up without informing the department. “We will get the matter investigated,” he said. After the posters were removed, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded that the Devasthan board reinstate the posters within two days, failing which it will call for an agitation.