High court stays order on dress code for temple entry

Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Monday granted an interim stay on a single judge order imposing dress code for pilgrims and devotees visiting Hindu temples in the state. The dress code came into effect from January 1 in the state.
A division bench, comprising Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice N Kirubakaran, granted the interim stay based on appeals filed by G Sarika, 22, of the Southern Districts Women Federation, and the Hindu Culture and Religious Endowment (HR & CE) Department against the single judge order.The case has been adjourned to January 18.
In her petition, Sarika had stated that the single judge order infringed fundamental rights of an individual to wear a dress of his or her choice. She also said that the order was discriminatory in nature.
The secretary of the HR and CE department contented that the order violated the Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorisation Act, 1947, which allows individual temple authorities to prescribe their own norms as per their customs.
The dress code could be followed as per the volition of the pilgrim and not by compulsion. Additional advocate general (AAG) K Chellapandian told the court that it was not possible to implement the dress code strictly.
Justice S Vaidyanathan pronounced the dress code order in November last year while disposing of a petition filed by Rasu seeking permission for a dance and music programme to be held on November 21 and 22 in Shenbaga Vinayagar temple at Akkiyampatti village in Marungapuri taluk in Trichy district.
The judge granted permission for the programme through an interim order passed on November 20, though with a rider. He specified that the programme could be held only if the participants adhered to the dress code prescribed by him. Subsequently, suo motu he directed the secretary of the Hindu Culture and Religious Endowment Department to implement the dress code in all the temples under its ambit. The order came into effect from January 1 this year. Though many temples put up boards specifying the dress code, only few were able to implement it strictly.
As per the single judge order, women devotees should wear only sari, half sari or churidar with dupatta and prohibited wearing of tights and jeans. Similarly, male devotees should wear dhoti or pajama or formal pants and shirts.