THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Relaxing the age-old dress-code, the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple on Tuesday decided to permit women wearing churidars to enter the the temple complex. The temple had strict dress code in place. Only men wearing mundu (dhoti) and women wearing sarees were allowed to enter the premises.
Temple executive officer K N Satheesh issued the order based on a petition filed by Riya Raji, a native of Thiruvananthapuram. However, K Haripal, chairman of the temple administrative committee was against relaxing the dress code and wanted status quo to be maintained.
“The decision was taken after obtaining written permission from the temple thantri and also after gathering the opinion of other stakeholders like the trustees, ‘Ettara yogam functionaries’, and a cross-section of devotees. The administrative committee was of the view that these kinds of issues which are superfluous were being raked up only to sideline other important matters concerning the temple and its administration,” said the executive officer in a letter. The committee was appointed by the Supreme Court for the administration of temple. As the committee rejected her petition, Riya approached the High Court, seeking its intervention.
The court in its order on September 29 observed that the custom of wearing dhoti over churidar was improper.
It directed the executive officer to consider the petition and make an appropriate decision within 30 days. A hearing was conducted two weeks ago seeking opinion from the public in this regard.
Representatives of the Kerala Brahmana Sabha, Sri Padmanabha Swamy Kshethra Bhaktajana Seva Samithy and Sri Padmanabha Swamy Kshethra Bhaktajana Sevasabha opposed allowing women to wear churidar inside the temple stating that it was not a suitable dress as per Hindu tradition.
The order, effective from Wednesday, stated that women overwhelmingly supported the move.