Maha: Temple bans entry of devotees in half pants, 'indecent' clothes

Therefore, to maintain its sanctity the boards have been put up at the Tulja Bhavani temples entry.

The Tulja Bhavani temple administration in Maharashtra's Osmanabad district has prohibited the entry of people wearing half pants or ''indecent'' clothes, a management official said on Thursday.

The decision has been taken to maintain the sanctity of the religious place, he said.

A large number of devotees every year visit the famous temple of Goddess Tulja Bhavani located at Tuljapur in Osmanabad.

The temple administration has put up boards in Marathi with a message that (devotees with) ''uncivilised dress, indecent clothes and those displaying body parts, half pants and bermudas (shorts) will not be allowed'' in the temple.

''Please keep Indian culture in mind,'' it said. The temple management's public relations officer Nagesh Shitole told PTI, ''These boards have been displayed today. We go to a temple with devotion. Therefore, to maintain its sanctity the boards have been put up at the Tulja Bhavani temple's entry. Such rules already exist in many temples across the country.'' Devotee Pratibha Mahesh Jagdale, who came from Solapur to offer prayers at the Tulja Bhavani temple, supported the decision.

''This decision will help to preserve our culture. I welcome it,'' she told reporters when asked about the temple management's decision.