It Seems We Just Cannot Win, Can We? – Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Dress Code Change

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Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala

A couple of days ago, we did a story on the entry of women into Haji Ali Dargah and how easy it has always been for our religion to put very unfair and sometimes even idiotic bans based on gender, disabilities and sexual orientation.

But even still, the entry of women into the Haji Ali Dargah after almost 5 years and intense fighting by activists and women groups, was a win for women and equality.

However the latest change in ruling by Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala is a disappointing one and seems a bit like one giving into the pressure from an affronted party.

Around November this year, this very temple had laxed their strict rule of prohibiting the entry of women if they were dressed in salwar or churidar and they had to wrap a dhoti over their clothes in order to gain entry into the temple.

There were protests from a small section of people who did not want to change their centuries help tradition and demanded that this change to not be made.

Nothing Wrong With Dress Code In Certain Places

To be completely honest, I do not really think there is anything wrong with certain places having a dress code.

I mean if a club or restaurant can have a dress code then why can’t a temple have one?

And apparently this dress code at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is for both men and women.

So what exactly is the problem?

If men have to follow it, then why can’t women too follow the certain dress code?

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala

The Problem Comes When Women Are Targeted

During my research for this article I also found that over time the temple management had started to overlook the original rules and allow for clothes that were simple clean and decent looking into the temples.

But the main reason why I am so against this overturning of the ruling is that women are specifically being targeted and serious efforts were made by both individuals and organisations into forcing the temple to take back the change they had made.

Allegedly there was news of a few Hindu organisations that protested at the temple even going as far as blocking certain gates of the temple.

I want to ask, what exactly is so abhorrent about this change in dress code that people are so against it?

And one might say that men too have to follow it, but we don’t really know how diligently they have to follow it right?

Also this is not the first time that certain institutions have tried to enforce women to wear clothes in a certain way and form otherwise they would not be allowed entry.

that is where my main problem is.

Why exactly is it always the women that have all these rules and regulations thrust on them. And not just that but also dictated to follow them to the T.

Signing off I would just say that, personally I don’t really have a major problem with religious temples and all have a certain dress code that is fine. But focusing on one sect of people and forcing them only to follow the rules is also not right. If the temple had made the change to women’s dress code then there was absolutely no reason why it should have been withdrawn.

Image Credits: Google Images


Other Recommendations:

http://edtimes.in/2016/03/no-temple-for-women-bombay-hc-questions-shani-shingnapur-temple/

http://edtimes.in/2016/08/are-we-still-discussing-right-of-women-to-enter-religious-places-progressing-or-regressing-india-women-allowed-entry-to-haji-ali/

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