Siddhivinayak Temple Bans Short Skirts, Torn Jeans: The Ongoing Debate on Temple Dress Codes

The new dress code notice was put out by the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust (SSGTT) has stated. "Devotees wearing trousers with cuts or torn fabric, short skirts, or clothing that exposes body parts will not be permitted inside the temple," it stated.

The order came after complaints were made by visitors, highlighting concerns about attire that they found disrespectful for a place of worship.

“After receiving repeated requests, the temple trust decided to implement the dress code to preserve the sanctity of the temple," the order stated. They said it was done to ensure devotees feel comfortable during their visit, and decorum is maintained within the temple premises.

Read: In Pictures: Durga Puja and Modern Women – Celebrating Strength, Resilience, and the Fight for Justice

While many netizens said that the dress code was fair, one X user posted “Bhagwan sabke hain, par dress code pandit ji ka hai! (God is for all, but dress codes are made by priests)”

Temples introducing dress codes in India isn’t new, and yet it has been a widely debated topic. We delve deeper.

Clothing Rules at Temples: Curtails Freedom of Expression?

Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi mandated that devotees clad in pants, shirts and jeans will only be allowed to worship the deity from a distance, and not allowed to enter the sanctum.

In 2016, the centuries-old Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram decided to relax its dress code for women – which mandated them to wear a ‘mundu’ or dhoti over their waists to enter – and decided to permit devotees to wear the traditional Indian salwar kameez and churidar inside the temple.

Many women, particularly pointing to restrictions on women’s clothing, highlighted how men made these rules of stricter dress codes, they were amended by men and even faced resistance from men – leaving very little room for women to actually partake in conversations around their own dress codes.

Several temples in India have introduced similar dress code restrictions, citing concerns over inappropriate attire being worn in places of worship.

Also read: Belief and Betrayal: Exploring the Complex Relationship Between Women and Godmen in India

This has also fueled a wider debate on the expectations surrounding clothing in sacred spaces, as visitors navigate the fine line between personal expression and maintaining respect for tradition.

Some on Twitter even called the recent Siddhivinayak Temple rules “unnecessary”.

Debate Over Male Devotees Needing to be Topless Continues

While ‘covered’ modest clothing is the common norm being enforced by many temples, in Kerala, a row continues over the prevalent custom of male devotees entering temples shirtless.

It started with Swami Satchidananda the head of the Sivagiri Mutt founded by Sree Narayana Guru, calling to end the custom. “Temples and deities are instruments that help devotees reach the formless and nameless God. It has nothing to do with the external appearance or the dress code of the devotees. What is going on in the devotee's mind while inside the temple and in front of the deity is the only thing that matters," he said, at the inaugural session of the annual Sivagiri pilgrimage. He added that it was historically fueled by casteist intentions and did not serve any spiritual purpose.

The debate even got a political undertone after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan responded positively to the comment, as certain temple factions chipped in to say that this wasn’t a political matter and temple stakeholders should be the ones deciding these things.