UDUPI: Sri Vedavardhana Theertha Swamiji of Sri Shiroor Mutt made it mandatory for men to enter the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Mutt without wearing shirts. Further, guidelines were issued to devotees regarding the dress code that should be strictly followed while visiting the temple.
Earlier, the rule required men to remove their shirts while entering the temple only during the puja hours. Shiroor Mutt Diwan Udaya Kumar Saralatthaya said that devotees should visit the mutt with utmost Krishna consciousness by following the new dress code.
“The first Paryaya of Sri Vedavardhana Theertha Swamiji of Shiroor Mutt commenced. The Pontiff advised men devotees not to arrive in Bermuda shorts, and they should remove shirts before entering the mutt. Similarly, women devotees are also asked not to come wearing attire like half skirts and Bermuda shorts while visiting the shrine. The mutt wants people to visit the shrine as devotees of Sri Krishna,” Saralathaya said, quoting the Paryaya Pontiff.
He added that men may wear a shawl after removing the shirt. The dress code that existed only for the afternoon puja was extended for the whole day, as there are several pujas and rituals taking place inside the shrine from morning till night. Devotees should ensure that they follow the dress code before entering the shrine through the ‘Maha Dhwara’, the main entrance, on the eastern side of the temple.