Matter about a ban on entry of scantily-dressed individuals in Shri Mahalakshmi Temple
The Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Vyavasthapan Samiti has appealed scantily-dressed male or female devotees not to enter Shri Mahalakshmi Temple in Kolhapur for seeking darshan. The attempt of the Devasthan Samiti is praiseworthy and should be implemented in all temples in the State, demanded Mr. Sunil Ghanwat, Organiser of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for Maharashtra.
In many temples in the country including the Tirupati temple, scantily-dressed male or female devotees are not allowed to seek darshan of Deities. In some temples, the dress-code is fixed as per local customs and traditions. Similarly, if some devotee wished to seek darshan by entering sanctum sanctorum, he has to wear Sovale (A clean, washed, silk or cotton dhoti to be worn during puja). Our stand is that these customs and traditions should be strictly followed.
In public life also, such rules have to be followed. A dress-code is fixed for the male and female employees in many establishments and offices. In schools-colleges, police department, hospitals, etc., uniform or a particular attire are specified. When all these decisions are strictly followed there, why then the opposition for following similar rules prescribed by the temples ? This opposition is evident from the progressives just because it concerns with Dharma. Those who have no faith in God, are claiming to have the right to decide how to enter the abode of God. The decisions about temples are to be made by the religious authorities and not by the progressives.
For Hindus, temples are the source of Chaitanya (divine consciousness). The devotees obtain strength, Chaitanya, sattvikata and energy in temples by performing worship sincerely; these benefits are accrued in a larger proportion by attiring in sattvik clothes, as per the spiritual science. The devotees should not get misled by the propaganda by the progressives and abide by Dharma, appeals Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.
