LUCKNOW: The ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi has decided to implement a ‘dress code’ for devotees who want to enter the sanctum sanctorum for ‘sparsh darshan’ (offering prayer by touching Jyotirlinga). The new dress code applies to both men and women devotees.
The men will have to wear dhoti-kurta while women will have to wear saree.
The temple administration decided this effect after holding a meeting with Kashi Vidvat Parishad (the oldest and most recognised body of city’s Sanskrit Scholars and Vedic experts) on Sunday evening.
State’s Tourism and Dharmarth Karya Minister Dr Neelkanth Tiwari, who chaired the meeting, sought suggestions from the members of the Parishad for extending the timings for sparsh darshan so that more devotees can visit.
According to sources, Prof Ramchandra Pandey and other members of Vidvat Parishad unanimously said that the time could be extended till 11 am.
Now, sparsh darshan can be held since Mangla Aarti in the morning till forenoon aarti.
The temple administration will provide dhoti-kurta and sarees to devotees who would come without them.
The Parishad members also gave suggestions for fixing a dress code for archaks (priests) so that they could be identified in the crowd.