Panaji: Goa Temple Bans Foreigners

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jun 6: Scantily clad foreigners and even domestic tourists have forced few important temples in Goa to impose dress code during the visit. One of the temple has even banned entry of foreigners.
 
The decision to impose dress code came after frequent instances of scantily-clad foreigners and even Indian lady tourists visiting the temples. The temple managements have said that the devotees were upset over such dresses, which forced them to impose restriction.

Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Mardol town, 20 kms away from Panaji, has prominently displayed a board which reads: Entry Restricted for Foreign tourists. While Mardol temple has banned the entry, two more temples Mangueshi temple in Mangueshi village and also at Ramnathi Temple in the temple town of Ponda has put restriction on them.
 
“We are not against the foreigners but their dresses and conduct in the temple is highly objectionable because of which temple management has decided to ban them from entering in the precincts,” said Vinod Kamat, President, Mahalasa Narayani Temple.
 
The local devotees were outraged after some foreigners, ignorantly, wore garland in their neck which was supposed to be offered to the deity. “They used to wear garlands themselves and later dump it before deity, which was highly objectionable,” Kamat said adding that even the Holy water, which is given for the devotees, was leftover back in the vessel.
 
“There has to be some discipline in the temple,” Kamat, who heads the committee of Goa’s one of the Oldest temple, said. The temple has almost 100 foreigners visiting every day, which has now stopped. They can now just go around the temple but can’t enter in.
 
The tour operators usually bring foreigner tourists to these temples, which are architectural marvels and also strong religious importance.
 
Mangueshi Temple, located just next to Mahalsa Narayani Temple, has also imposed severe restriction.
 
The temple President Jayant Mandurkar said that they have not banned the foreigners but instead has forced strict dress code. “The dress code is for foreigners and domestic tourists alike,” he said.
 
Mandurkar pointed out that the tourists were arriving with short skirts, shorts and exposing dresses, which was cutting sorry figure. “We have put up a board asking tourists to desist from entering temple with improper dress,” he stated.
 
Many foreigners, after reading the board, contact temple committee’s office and enter the temple only after wearing shawl.
 
“Foreigners are cordial. They don’t argue. But we always have confrontation with the domestic tourists,” he said.
 
The temple management has said that the tourists wearing beach wears can go for picnics on the shorelines but when they plan to visit temple, they should be aware about their dressings.
 
Mandurkar said that they had written to the tourism department in January, this year, informing about the restriction.
 
The tourism industry has welcomed the decision of temple managements. “This will not impact the tourism flow. In fact, all over world  there is proper dress code suggested while visiting religious places,” said Ralf D’Souza, President, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG).
 
D’Souza said that the visitor at mosque in Istanbul cannot enter inside without wearing shawl. In Goa, the temples are meant for worship, and we cannot disturb their sanctity in the name of tourism, he added.