Campaign to permit men to wear shirt inside Jagannath Temple to resume, chief priest strikes a different note

Jagannath Temple, Thalassery.

Attempts to permit men into Jagannath Temple, Thalassery, wearing shirts will resume shortly following a call from the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Swami Satchidananda, the Trust president, had given a call to end the “regressive” practice during the ongoing Sivagiri Pilgrim convention, which was duly supported by Mr. Vijayan.

However, the chief temple priest priest Rakesh Thanthri struck a different note and distanced himself from the ongoing debate.

The NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair lambasted the move at the Mannam Jayanthi celebrations held at Changanassery on Thursday and challenged the authority of the Chief Minister to make such suggestions.

“The efforts of the Jnanodaya Yogam, the managing committee of the Jagannath temple, to permit men wear shirts had to be dropped two years ago following the opposition from some sections of the society. We will take steps to implement the decision, which was taken two years ago following a public appeal from Swami Satchidananda through consensus,” said K. Sathyan, president of the Sabha.

Such decisions cannot be forced on the devotees but implemented after evolving a consensus. The committee will once again make an earnest effort to modify the dress code following the recent developments, he said.

The temple authorities had earlier removed the clause that men shall wear shirts from the list of customary practices to be observed by the devotees, he said.

The temple was consecrated by social reformer Sree Narayana Guru in 1908 and the Trust continues to hold the ritualistic rights in the temple. The approval of the Trust is required for appointing Thanthri (head priest) of the temple.

K. Ajithkumar, member of the yogam director board, said he would take up the issue at the next meeting. A decision in this regard will be taken before the next annual festival, which will begin on March 9, he said.

Rakesh Thanthri maintained that customary practices followed in temples over decades cannot be overruled by political or community leaders. Presently, men enter the temple after dropping their upper clothes. Any decision on modifying temple practices shall be taken only after discussing it in a forum of temple priests. The Travancore Devaswom Board had convened a meeting of priests to discuss the issue of women’s entry into Sabarimala, he said.