Servitors ensure decent dress rule at Srimandir, stop devotees in half pants 

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration is strictly ensuring that devotees get attired decently to have darshan of deities, as the rule of wearing decent clothes will be enforced from January 1, 2024.

On Sunday, some jatri servitors spotted two young devotees in half pants. They not only stopped them but also helped them wear dhotis before allowing them inside the temple.  

As per reports, with the onset of the holy month of Kartika, Jatri Pandas (Jatri servitors) have intensified their awareness on decent clothing for devotees. An unseal scene unfolded in front of the Singha Dwar of the Jagannath temple in the morning, Sunday.

Two youths who seemed to be unaware of the decent dress rule came to the temple wearing half pants. 
On seeing them, some Jatri servitors, who were sensitising people about the need to wear decent clothes, stopped them. Then, they practically taught the two youths how to wear dhoti. The servitors helped the youths to put on dhoti over half pants and allowed them to enter the temple. 

After learning the new sartorial rule, the two young devotees beamed happiness and had darshan of the deities.   
Many other devotees who came to the temple wearing jeans, torn jeans and shorts were advised to abide by the new clothing rule before the darshan of the deities. 

As a couple of days left for New Year Day, the temple administration has been sensitising people through public address systems near its information centre about the new dress rule. The initiative has been welcomed by various quarters. 

A young devotee said that it is a good step that devotees should come wearing decent clothes to holy places. “We did not know about it. The administration told us about the new rule. It is a good step to ensure the sanctity of the holy places,” he observed.

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Meanwhile, all nijogs and hotel associations have been apprised of the sartorial rule. The chief administration of the temple has told the JTPs to ensure the rule henceforward. Women devotees were told to wear sarees and salwars while males were advised to wear pants, shirts and kurta-punjabis.

Besides, children aged under 12 are allowed to wear half pants and shirts, but the grown-ups are advised not to wear tattered jeans, half pants and sleeves. 

As for the decent dress rule, Muktinath Pratihari, an officer of the temple administration, said, “A servitor had got a dhoti on donation and gave it to a devotee who had come wearing a pant. The servitor himself taught the young devotee how to wear a dhoti. Devotees are happy over this new rule.”