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Churidar kurta makes an entry into Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple

Convenient, dignified: Women in churidar kurta visiting the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on Friday.

Guruvayur: Hundreds of women wore churidar kurta to the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on Friday after the Guruvayur Devaswom relaxed the temple dress code.

Till now, women could wear only dresses such as sari, set-mundu, half-sari and skirt and blouse to the temple. Even if women wore kurtas to the shrine, they had to wear a mundu over the pyjamas.

“This looked ridiculous. The change is welcome. Churidar kurta is a convenient and dignified dress. The Devaswom’s decision shows that it is moving with the times,” said Aswathy Chandran, a college student who visited the temple on Friday.

Her mother, Parvathy, too felt the same. “Wearing a churidar kurta does not make one less traditional,” she said.

The former dress code, many argued, was thoroughly inconvenient.

“I would even describe it as anti-women. No one ever sought to find out so far what women felt about the dress code. This is a very progressive step,” said P.K. Ambika, a Government employee.

Devaswom chairman Thottathil Ravindran said that response to the decision was good. Devaswom officials were flooded with calls appreciating the change.

“Dress code change had been a long-standing demand of women. The reform indicates the Devaswom’s deep respect for women,” Mr. Ravindran said.

Many devotees said that how to wear a dress was more important than what to wear.

“A shrine insists on dignified dress so that everything about the place has a sacred, solemn feel. You are expected to have holy thoughts inside the temple. For the same reason, the way you dress is more important than what you wear.

“You can wear a sari or a set mundu in an indecent fashion. And wear shirt and jeans in the most dignified manner. Hence, the entire idea of having a dress code for the temple should be debated just as the issue of allowing non-Hindus into the temple is,” said A. K. Mini, a college student.

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