Bhatkal: A dress code has been officially implemented at the famous Murudeshwar temple, a revered pilgrimage and tourist destination in coastal Karnataka.

According to the newly enforced rules, men are required to wear traditional attire such as dhoti, shawl, kurta-pyjama, or panche with a shirt. Women are expected to wear sarees, churidars, or langa-davani. A signboard displaying the dress code has been installed outside the temple premises by the management.

The implementation comes after a formal request made in December 2022 by the local unit of the Sanatan Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, along with several Hindu organizations, urging the temple authorities to enforce a dress code in order to maintain the sanctity of the temple.

Murudeshwar Temple, which attracts thousands of devotees and tourists including foreigners, had seen visitors entering the temple premises in various forms of attire. Citing the need to preserve the sacred atmosphere, the temple’s manager Manjunath Shetty confirmed that the dress code has now been made mandatory.