Iconic Jain temple in Shimla bans entry of devotees wearing short-length clothes

Shimla: Devotees wearing short clothes have been banned entry to a century-old Jain temple in Shimla, with the authorities at the shrine defending the move citing the need to maintain discipline, decorum and values of the Hindu culture.

The temple, run by the Shree Digambar Jain Sabha, is popular with people belonging to the Jain community. The temple administration recently put up a notice outside the temple, underling the new dress code.

"All women and men should come to the temple wearing decent clothes. Those wearing short clothes, half pants, Bermuda, mini skirt, night suit, torn jeans, frock and three-Quarter jeans etc. should only pay obeisance outside the temple premises," read the notice stuck outside the Jain temple by the Shree Digambar Jain Sabha, Shimla.

A priest of the Jain temple on Saturday said the decision was taken keeping in mind the changing fashion and sartorial preferences in women and the corrosion of values in the Hindu society.

He said to maintain decorum, discipline and values, the decision had to be taken.
"Anyone visiting the temple needs to be in decent clothes. We have prohibited the entry of people wearing half pants, half clothes, miniskirts and torn jeans etc. People are falling out of the habit of visiting temples and in today's day and age, maintaining culture and traditions is turning out to be a struggle. In the past, our elders would visit temples in decent clothes but now the young boys and girls, as well as adult women, visit temples in short-length clothes. This is not good. The influx of western habits and culture is corroding our religious values," Pandit Sanjay Kumar Jain, a priest at the Jain temple Shimla, said.

"This decision was taken as per religious norms. People praticising other other faiths never drift from their core religious beliefs and ways but those belonging to the Hindu and Sanatan dharma are compromising with their religious values. We installed a board underlining the new dress code and the visitors have started following it," the priest added.

"This is an old temple going back over 100 years. This decision reflects our tradition. Those visiting temples in short clothes are violating the customs and traditions associated with these places of worship," said a devotee.

Another devotee, Harsh Jain, said, "Our culture does not allow it (wearing short-length clothes). When it comes to temples, one needs to follow the rules. We are adopting the western culture and forgetting our own."

Recently, the keepers of the iconic Jama Masjid in New Delhi had put up a controversial notice, banning the entry of women unless escorted by their male partners.

However, the notice was taken down in the face of protests and outrage on social media.