Irked by tourists who wear skimpy dress while visiting the Bhagandeshwara temple in Talacauvery, the management committee of the shrine has decided to impose a dress code for visitors.

“We have not finalised the dress but any dress that covers women and men adequately would suffice. This is not an ordinary tourist centre but is a shrine of Cauvery river which feeds lakhs of people in Mysore and Bangalore and in Tamil Nadu and also irrigates several thousand hectares of agricultural land in South Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. So we should show some respect to the shrine by being presentable at the shrine,” said the committee president AK Manu Muthappa.

The committee is also wary of the litterbugs. “They throw all sorts of trash including empty food packets, water bottles, polythene bags in the temple premises. The committee has taken a serious view of this and has decided to start a campaign against littering” Muthappa said.

The committee member TS Narayanachar said: “The dress code will come into force immediately and those who wish to visit the temple should be prepared to wear the prescribed dress.”

The festivities (Sankramana Jathre) at the shrine will begin on October 17 when lakhs of pilgrims are expected to visit the temple.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Daily News & Analysis / Home> Bangalore> Report / by DNA Correspondent, Place: Madikeri, Agency: DNA / Tuesday, September 04th, 2012