Shias have dress code for imambaras in Lucknow

Lucknow: Tourists visiting the Imambaras after the lookout was lifted last week are now facing a piquant situation. After a strict warning issued by the Shia community for maintaining the religious sanctity of the monuments, male tourists are now being asked to cover their heads while women are being told to enter the precincts only after wearing stoles.

 

This is posing a major problem for foreign tourists since men coming wearing half pants and the women are attired in skirts.

 

“Why should this be a problem? After all, visitors are not allowed in to the Golden Temple, if they do not wear full clothes and cover their heads. The Imambaras are also a religious monument and visitors must learn to maintain its dignity and sanctity,” said Ali, a tourist guide. The new diktat is now leading to ugly situation and fracas was reported between the visitors and guides on this issue.

 

According to sources, some foreign tourists were allowed to go in wearing skirts while some local ones were asked to wear stoles and this led to arguments. Shruti Khandekar, a visitor, said, “The guide gave me a dirty stole and asked me to cover my head. Just then I saw a woman tourist going inside wearing skirt.”

 

 

The authorities of the Scottish Church College on Monday revoked their dress code advisory which had asked girl students not to wear above knee-length skirts. The students strongly protested against the dress code directive. 

 

“We do not want any drift with the students. They and their parents know what is the advisable dress,” college rector John Abraham said. Bishop Ashok Biswas, who is a part of the college council, said when the decision on dress code was taken in a meeting where the students were also present.