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Odisha panel proposes ban on jeans, shirts for women at Puri Jagannath Temple
Odisha Law Commission proposes a stricter dress code at Puri Jagannath Temple, including a ban on jeans and shirts for women devotees.
The Odisha State Law Commission has recommended amending the Sri Jagannath Temple Act to enforce a stricter dress code at the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, including barring entry to women wearing shirts and jeans or pants.
The proposal, currently under consideration by the state government, seeks to provide legal backing to earlier temple guidelines introduced in January 2024 that restricted western and revealing outfits but faced enforcement challenges in the absence of statutory support.
As per the proposed amendment to the Act, male devotees would be allowed to wear traditional attire such as dhoti and kurta, or alternatives like churidar or formal shirts and trousers, while women above the age of 10 would be expected to wear sarees, blouses or salwar-kameez. Younger girls could wear frocks or gowns. The recommendations explicitly call for barring entry to women dressed in shirts and jeans or similar outfits.
The move follows earlier attempts by the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration to enforce dress norms from January 2024, which restricted items such as shorts, sleeveless tops and ripped jeans, but faced challenges due to the lack of legal backing.
Officials said the proposed amendments aim to provide a statutory framework to ensure compliance. “The objective is to preserve the sanctity and dignity of the temple while encouraging appropriate conduct,” a temple administration official said.
Several temples and religious institutions in India, including Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple, Meenakshi Temple, Guruvayurappan Temple, Rajarajeshwari Temple, Sri Krishna Math, Radharani Temple, and Mahalaxmi Temple and Jyotiba Temple, have introduced dress codes restricting jeans, shirts, short western wear, ripped jeans, skirts and tops, especially for women devotees.
A senior official in the state law department said the recommendations are under active consideration, with consultations ongoing before any changes are introduced.
Ever since the State Law Commission was formed, it has recommended amendments to eight laws, including the Right to Acknowledgement Act, the Gram Panchayat Act, 1964, the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013, and the Odisha Consolidation of Holdings and Prevention of Fragmentation of Land Act, 1972.
In September 2025, the Odisha Law Commission recommended sweeping amendments to the decade-old Odisha Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013, proposing stricter punishments, mandatory victim rehabilitation and compensation, and the establishment of district-level task forces to monitor implementation and awareness campaigns.
Last month, the panel recommended the enactment of the Odisha Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Act, 2026, proposing stringent penalties, including jail terms of up to seven years, and classifying hate speech offences as cognisable and non-bailable.
Of all these recommendations, only a couple have been accepted by the state government.
