The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench has brought in a dress code for worshippers visiting temples in Tamil Nadu that are run by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department. 

Starting 2016, women visiting temples in the state will have to be dressed in 'a sari or a half sari or churidhar with upper cloth', while men will have to wear 'dhoti or pyjama with upper cloth or formal pants and shirts'.

Justice S Vaidyanathan prescribed the dress code in a judgement on Tuesday, calling it an interim measure until the Tamil Nadu government brings in a policy in place for dress codes at temples, The Hindu reported. 

Circulars about the prescribed dress code will be issued to all temples maintained by the HR and CE department, and the police will be authorised to ensure devotees are allowed to enter only if they adhere to the dress code. 

"Police shall not allow devotees inside any Hindu Temple of Tamil Nadu who wear dresses other than the one prescribed," said the Madras HC judge, according to the report. 

Recently, the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi that is popular with foreign tourists implemented a dress code to ensure foreign women do not enter the sanctum sanctorum in short clothes. 

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