East Godavari: Henceforth, devotees visiting the Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Devasthanam, at Ananvaram in East Godavari district, will now have to wear traditional Indian clothes for having darshan in the temple.

Executive Officer of the Devasthanam, MV Suresh Babu said that male devotees would have to wear dhoti while the females would wear either a sari, half-sari or churidar with a dupatta. “This is to retain the devotional spirit in the temple premises ,a practice which is in vogue at many temples,” he said.

Women wearing short dresses and western wear would not be permitted inside the temple.

Norms for booking of cottages changed

-About cottage bookings, he said that biometric systems would be introduced to ensure transparency in the allocation of rooms.

-Devotees would have to give their biometrics twice – during the check-in and check-out time, to avoid any misuse.

-The cottages would be given only for 12 hours during festivals and special occasions, to accommodate devotees during peak seasons.

-For booking rooms, the devotees should show their Aadhaar Card. The room would also be allocated two hours after the reservations are done. If they fail to turn up the room would be allotted to another person. The booking amount also would not be reimbursed, he clarified.

Marriages in the temple precincts banned

-The EO also mentioned that as part of increased security arrangements within the temple precincts, marriages in the Vratha Mandapas and its vicinity are to be banned.

-Nobody will be allowed inside once the temple closes at 9pm in the night, he said.

The new rules come into effect from the 1st of July, M V Suresh Babu said.

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