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On Thursday, the Madras High Court expressed its distress over issues related to religious dress codes being flared up to inflame communal passions while hearing a petition that sought directions to the government to prescribe a dress code for entering temples.

The Court was hearing two public interest litigation petitions that had been listed for admission before the bench. The pleas sought that only Hindus should be permitted to enter temple complexes and that even they should be sporting distinct Sanathana Dharm marks on their forehead, besides wearing appropriate outfits, to prevent the entry of atheists.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy during the course of hearing questioned,

“What is paramount? The country or religion? Really shocking that somebody is for Hijab and some for dhotis inside temples. What is the message you are sending? Is this one country or divided on the basis of religion?”

To this the petitioner Rangarajan Narasimhan of Srirangam told the bench that, "There was no doubt about the oneness of the country but every function of a Hindu temple must be carried out as per the Agama Sastras which do not permit non-Hindus to enter temple precincts."

Claiming that purity of the temples would be polluted if the Sastras were not followed, the petitioner accused the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department of violating the sastras.

Apart from prescribing a dress code for adults, the plea also insisted that Hindu children must be made to wear “fully covered” clothing while visiting temples.

The petitioner has opposed the entry of non-Hindus and foreigners inside temples for sight-seeing. He has stated in the plea that Hindus too should be allowed inside temples only if they had taken baths and were wearing proper outfits such as a dhoti, kurta-pyjama, sari, half sari, salwar kameez and so on.

On the contrary Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram argued that, “Foreigners and non-Hindus were allowed only till the Kodi Maram (flag post) inside the temples and not till the sanctum sanctorum.”

He also stated that, notice boards had been displayed at all temples prohibiting the entry of non-Hindus beyond a certain point and undertook to file a detailed counter affidavit on the issue.

Following this the bench ordered a notice to the HR&CE department on the plea opposing the entry of non-Hindus inside temples.

However, on the second plea for the imposition of dress codes for Hindu devotees, the bench said it was up to the individual temples to prescribe a dress code as per its customs.

Lastly, the bench granted 10 days’ time for Narasimhan to produce any material that he may have to prove that a dress code could be imposed for temple visits.

Cause Title: Rangarajan Narasimhan v. Additional Chief Secretay To Government & Ors.