Kashi Vishwanath temple: Dress code suggestion discussed but no decision, says official

A suggestion to introduce a dress code in the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple for devotees who want to enter the sanctum sanctorum and touch the 'Jyotirlinga' was discussed at a meeting here, an official of the temple trust said Monday.

But no formal proposal is under consideration or any decision taken on this, Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Deepak Aggarwal said.

The meeting was held on Sunday by UP minister of state for religious affairs Neelkanth Tiwari and Deepak Aggarwal with the members of the 'Kashi Vidvat Parishad', Vishal Singh of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust told reporters.

Parishad is a body of scholars that advises the administration on religious and other matters in the temple city.

A suggestion to introduce the dress code of dhoti-kurta for males and sari for females for devotees who want to enter the sanctum sanctorum and touch the 'Jyotirlinga' was discussed at the meeting, Singh said.

It was suggested that devotees in other dresses like jeans, shirt, trousers and suits should be allowed to offer prayers in the temple but not be permitted sparsh-darshan (touching Jyotirlinga) in the sanctum sanctorum, he said.

Aggarwal, however, stressed that it was only an oral suggestion by some members of the Parishad which was discussed at the meeting.

"There is no formal proposal under consideration and no decision has been taken on introducing a dress code," he said.

During the meeting, according to sources, it was said by some Parishad that there has been a long-pending demand of devotees that there should a dress code for entering sanctum sanctorum as is the tradition in several temples of south India.