Journalism of Courage
Maharashtra’s Ganpatipule temple to enforce dress code, bar above-knee clothes
From January 1 next year, devotees wearing above-the-knee shorts or skirts will not be allowed entry into the Ganpatipule temple in Ratnagiri district.
Under the Ganpatipule temple's dress code, devotees wearing attire above the knee will not be allowed to enter temple premises. The rules will apply to men and women, while children below 10 years of age have been exempted.
The famous Lord Ganesh temple in Ganpatipule in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district will begin strictly enforcing a dress code for devotees from January 1, 2027, authorities said.
Nilesh Kolhatkar, chairman of the temple trust, Sansthan Shreedev Ganpatipule, said the dress code was introduced last year, and the trust spent the past few months creating awareness among devotees. “Now we will enforce the dress code for devotees from January 1 next year,” Kolhatkar told The Indian Express on Saturday.
Under the dress code, devotees wearing attire above the knee will not be allowed to enter temple premises. The rules will apply to men and women, while children below 10 years of age have been exempted.
“If the devotees wear skirts below the knee or shorts below the knee, they will not be stopped from entering the temple premises,” he clarified. “The dress code only applies to those wearing skirts or shorts above the knees.”
Kolhatkar said the trust was seeking to uphold tradition and preserve the sanctity of the temple. “If children wear skimpy clothes, they don’t look odd. But if grown-ups wear skimpy clothes, it doesn’t look good….Our request to devotees is that they change their attire while entering the temple premises and adhere to the dress code. We believe we should adhere to our age-old tradition. We should uphold the sanctity of sacred places like temples,” Kolhatkar added.
He added that when the rule was first introduced, some devotees had objected. “They complained that they had no idea about the rule. That’s why we decided to spread awareness about it,” he said.
The Ganpatipule temple attracts around 25 lakh devotees every year. More than 1,000 devotees visit the shrine daily, while footfall increases more than five-fold on Chaturthi days. The temple has adequate food and accommodation facilities for devotees, Kolhatkar added.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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