Puri Jagannath Temple Makes Dress Code Mandatory for Devotees

Puri: The administration of Shree Jagannath Temple has implemented a dress code for devotees, effective from the first day of 2024. Devotees must adhere to the new rule, wearing “decent clothes” to enter the 12th-century shrine. Notably, half pants, shorts, torn jeans, skirts, and sleeveless dresses are not permitted.

Additionally, the temple administration has imposed a complete ban on chewing gutkha and pan on the shrine premises, aiming to preserve the sanctity of the sacred site. Plastic and polythene usage have also been prohibited from the beginning of the New Year.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had previously issued an order, with the police entrusted to enforce these restrictions. Devotees visiting on the first day of 2024 were observed complying with the dress code, with men wearing dhoti and towels, and women dressed in sarees or salwar kameez.

To ensure a smooth experience for devotees, the SJTA and police have made extensive arrangements. Violators of the gutkha and pan ban are subject to fines. Over 180,000 devotees flocked to the temple on New Year’s Day, experiencing hassle-free darshan.

The SJTA and police have taken measures to facilitate specially-abled devotees, including the provision of an air-conditioned tensile fabric structure outside the temple. Equipped with CCTV cameras, public announcement systems, and seating arrangements, the structure offers essential facilities like drinking water and public toilets.