Sanctifying a Worship Place

“Tirupati Temple Trust” is contemplating on implementing dress-code for women devotees entering the temple. The move has been initiated on a complaint from some male devotee, who got distracted by women worshippers.

What a sad state of affairs. There is a poor soul (probably with his senses completely out of control) who wants to distract his thoughts from women (and may be wine as well) and has taken the shelter in a temple. But he still can not find solitude and mental peace. It is his basic right to demand ban on anything which impedes his way to mental peace.

But as I can sense, the life ahead may not be very easy for this devotee. Women right activists are going to raise a lot of questions. They will ask if people with such mental make up (who are easily perturbed by women around them) really suited to enter a temple premises? Why not to ban the entry of such devotees to temple (rather than forcing a dress code for woman)? If the complaint would have come from a beer bar, or a similar location (may be a market place where wine shops are in plenty), it would have been easier for people to understand the problem. People in general can accept that a men under effect of alcohol can get perturbed, looking at some immoderately dressed women. But, since this complaint has come from a devotee (at the time of performing prayers in a temple), most people are going to raise their fingers (rather than helping the devotee to remain focussed). So even the “pro-women men activists” may join the “women activists” (what a deadly collusion) and start favoring the indecent, immodest female creatures (these modern Ratis).

This is the tragedy of a literate society. They start arguing rationally even over the things, which are not governed by reason. And instead of helping a men to attain mental peace, self control (and Nirvana down the line), women activists (and pro-women men activists) will start arguing with reason. They might even go to the extent of making statements like, “Such people who can not bear the sight of a woman should be put under solitary confinement”.

I can feel the pain of this devotee. And I will fully support the enforcement of dress code for women. But I feel that enforcing the dress code (for women) may not really help much. A beautiful female body will still distract men, no matter how much you cover it. Have you not seen Sushmita Sen in “Main Hoon Naa”? She looks more attractive in Sarees (than she looks in other costumes). The only solution to this problem could be “a complete ban” on women entering the temple (a few extremely ugly women could still be allowed to enter). But probably even that would not solve the problem fully. Women is not the only beautiful object in this world. As I watch on the TV, and read in the reports, these days (not very sure if it never existed in old times) men are getting attracted towards others men as well. We shall ban entry of good looking (well built and healthy - to be more precise) men as well to the temple (why are such people needed at a place of worship? They already have all - what they should pray for?). I know thousands of people who loose their control (give up their principles and integrity) for meager amount of money. Hence, All types of currency (and gold as well) should also be banned inside the temple premises. One last itch - “Delicious Tirupathi Prasadam”. The famous Ladoo of Tirupthi might be too much mouth watering (specially for the devotees under question), we need to ban that as well. Yes, that might constitute a perfect world.

PS: I am a religious person myself. I perform morning prayer and do meditation every day. I follow this routine because it helps me to remain focussed and calm. The little time which I spend in the morning on these activities, helps me to keep my senses under good control all the day. The fact that there are devotees, who get perturbed even during their prayers, really pertubs me. Hence this post.