Rigid dress code put in place at temple in Karnataka

A rigid dress code banningjeans pant, trousers and Bermuda shorts has been put in place at the Mahabaleshwar Temple in Gokarna, a popular pilgrimage centre, by its administration.

"We have already implemented the dress code in Gokarna. The restrictions were already there but we implemented them a month ago," the executive officer of Gokarna Mahabaleshwar temple H Halappa told PTI Thursday.

He said shirt, pant, hat, cap and coat are also not allowed.

"For men only dhoti is allowed. They can't enter temple wearing shirts, tee-shirts and vest.

Women are allowed only in salwar suit and saree. They can't come in wearing jeans pant," Halappa added.

The Mahabaleshwar temple in Gokarna was built by Mayur Sharma of Kadamba dynasty in 4th Century AD.

Considered one of the seven "Muktikshetras or Muktistala ("places of salvation") in Karnataka, its location near the Karwar beach facing the Arabian sea has made it a tourist's delight.

The dress code order has, however, not gone down well with G K Hegde, former administrator of the Ramachandrapura Mutt near the Gokarna temple.

He said such rules will trouble the visitors as Gokarna also happens to be a major tourist destination.

"The dress code was only for men that they should not enter the temple wearing shirts and without taking bath. There was no restriction for women," Hegde claimed.

The dress code should have been introduced by discussing with the devotees and temple priests who have been performing rituals for ages, Hegde said.

A similar restriction is in the offing at Virupaksha temple in Hampi, sources in the Karnataka Hindu religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment department told PTI.

The Virupaksha temple is among the oldest temples where the rituals have been going on since 7th century AD without break.