Katrina Kaif’s knee-length skirt raised a storm at the Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti's of Ajmer, but Akshardham Temple in Delhi is leaving nothing to chance. It has not only banned skirts but also burqas and lungis for good measure!
While temples in the city have no problem with devotees wearing skirts, at Akshardham, where almost one lakh visitors come every week, the dress code is enforced vigorously. The spokesperson of the temple, Janak Dave, said, “We should maintain the dignity of the temple so shorts and skirts are not allowed as these look awkward. We have banned burqas for security purposes as no place is safe and we should be careful from our side. So far as lungis are concerned, not many people know how to tie them properly and many times, it does not look decent.”
A visitor was piqued at the strange dress code. “Why have they banned lungis? I cannot understand this. India is a secular country and a temple cannot ban a particular dress,” the visitor said without revealing his identity.
The temple says it insists on a dress code so that the sensibilities of visiting devotees are not hurt. Dave however, added, “We provide pitamber (yellow wrapper) at a security deposit of Rs100 which is refundable. The attire is available at the security check of the temple. Pitamber is traditional wear, which looks perfect for a place like a temple.”
Interestingly, Akshardham in London also disallows shorts or skirts shorter than knee length but it permits burqas and lungis.
Dressed to trouble
Bollywood star Himesh Reshammiya kicked off a controversy when he visited Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti wearing a burqa to avoid attention. But the shrine committee gave a clean chit to the singer, saying burqa was a respectable dress and there was no need for Himesh to tender an apology.
Another Bollywood star Katrina Kaif was forced to change her clothes for a film shoot at the same shrine as her skirt offended the sensibilities of the Dargaah staff.
While temples in the city have no problem with devotees wearing skirts, at Akshardham, where almost one lakh visitors come every week, the dress code is enforced vigorously. The spokesperson of the temple, Janak Dave, said, “We should maintain the dignity of the temple so shorts and skirts are not allowed as these look awkward. We have banned burqas for security purposes as no place is safe and we should be careful from our side. So far as lungis are concerned, not many people know how to tie them properly and many times, it does not look decent.”
A visitor was piqued at the strange dress code. “Why have they banned lungis? I cannot understand this. India is a secular country and a temple cannot ban a particular dress,” the visitor said without revealing his identity.
The temple says it insists on a dress code so that the sensibilities of visiting devotees are not hurt. Dave however, added, “We provide pitamber (yellow wrapper) at a security deposit of Rs100 which is refundable. The attire is available at the security check of the temple. Pitamber is traditional wear, which looks perfect for a place like a temple.”
Interestingly, Akshardham in London also disallows shorts or skirts shorter than knee length but it permits burqas and lungis.
Dressed to trouble
Bollywood star Himesh Reshammiya kicked off a controversy when he visited Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti wearing a burqa to avoid attention. But the shrine committee gave a clean chit to the singer, saying burqa was a respectable dress and there was no need for Himesh to tender an apology.
Another Bollywood star Katrina Kaif was forced to change her clothes for a film shoot at the same shrine as her skirt offended the sensibilities of the Dargaah staff.
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