(This article was originally published in Quint Hindi.)
Police on duty inside the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi have a new dress code – dhoti and kurta.
The decision was taken earlier this week to ensure a ‘sanskaari’ atmosphere inside the temple premises.
The dress code for security officials posted inside the temple was being discussed for a while now. There was a need to ensure ‘purity’ inside the garbhagriha of Kashi Vishwanath, it was argued, for which the uniform of security officials needed to be changed.
The decision was made on Monday, after the Mangal Aarti, that a humble dhoti and kurta as a dress code for on duty cops should be enforced.
Uniforms Changed on PMO’s Suggestion
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had suggested changing the police uniforms, but it was met with some legal hurdles. So, for a while, the idea of removing police officials and posting former soldiers in the temple was also considered.
But after a boost of courage given by the PMO team that came in February, the temple administration arranged for the deployment of policemen in the new dress code following the Monday Mangal Aarti.
White Dhoti, Yellow Kurta
Khaki-wearing police officers will now have to wear yellow kurtas and white dhotis inside the garbhagriha. Problems over this change have already started, as police officers are not permanently posted inside the temple premises. They come in for a few days, and based on security requirements, their postings are changed. In this situation, the fitting of the uniforms and their cleaning becomes a major problem.
Officers on the evening shift, from 4 pm to midnight, are wondering how they can be expected to wear the same clothes that officers in the previous shift were wearing, since those clothes won’t be clean, having been worn all through the previous shift.
There are three shifts in the temple. Six police officers are posted inside the garbhagriha. The new dress code is only for the garbhagriha – at the other posts around the temple, police officials will continue to wear their normal uniforms.
Currently, the officers are bearing with it and wearing the soiled uniforms worn by the previous shift, but it’s a problem that will have to be tackled.
Devotees Don’t Take Police in New Uniforms Seriously
The police might be dressed up like priests, but their demeanour is still that of police officers.
But the devotees coming to the temple often mistake them for priests and refuse to listen to them. Because of this misunderstanding, fights and arguments were reported on the first day of the new uniform policy, resulting in long lines.
(This article has been translated by Mariam Shaheen.)
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