<div>The Kerala High Court on Thursday ruled that women wearing churidar or salwar kameez without tying a dhoti over the attire should not be allowed entry into the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.<br /><br />The ruling strikes down an earlier order by temple executive officer (EO) K N Satheesh, nullifying the custom of having dhotis tied over the attire.<br /><br />The high court intervention takes the dress code debate back to status quo. The court, considering two petitions on the matter, observed that the temple’s chief priest, and not the EO, had the authority to alter temple customs. <br /><br />The EO had, on November 29, informed the high court that women wearing churidar and salwar kameez would be allowed entry into the temple. At present, women have to wear saris or tie a dhoti over churidars, jeans, skirts or other attire to enter the temple. The EO’s decision, however, was opposed by the Supreme Court-appointed temple administrative committee.</div>
<div>The Kerala High Court on Thursday ruled that women wearing churidar or salwar kameez without tying a dhoti over the attire should not be allowed entry into the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.<br /><br />The ruling strikes down an earlier order by temple executive officer (EO) K N Satheesh, nullifying the custom of having dhotis tied over the attire.<br /><br />The high court intervention takes the dress code debate back to status quo. The court, considering two petitions on the matter, observed that the temple’s chief priest, and not the EO, had the authority to alter temple customs. <br /><br />The EO had, on November 29, informed the high court that women wearing churidar and salwar kameez would be allowed entry into the temple. At present, women have to wear saris or tie a dhoti over churidars, jeans, skirts or other attire to enter the temple. The EO’s decision, however, was opposed by the Supreme Court-appointed temple administrative committee.</div>
