Amid Jagan’s Tirupati row, here are 9 major Indian temples that bar entry of non-Hindus

An ugly spat has broken out between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor Jagan Mohan Reddy over the latter’s wish to visit the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. At the centre of the row is the fact that Jagan is not a Hindu but a practising Christian. Therefore, the Right-wing NDA allies in the state, including Naidu’s TDP, have been insisting that he declare his faith before visiting the temple.

The rules of the temple, however, do not bar non-Hindus from a visit. Instead, they mandate foreigners and non-Hindus to declare their reverence for Lord Venkateswara for a darshan. While Jagan has so far never done that, Naidu is now insisting that he should respect the traditions and customs of the holy shrine to pay a visit to the deity.

While Tirupati may require only a declaration of devotion, there are many temples across India, especially in the South, where non-Hindus are outright barred from a darshan. As the spat continues, here is a look at the most revered Indian temples that do not allow the entry of non-Hindus.

1. Somnath temple, Gujarat

In 2015, Gujarat’s famous Somnath temple restricted the entry of non-Hindus without prior permission from the temple management. The decision was taken by the board of trustees, one of whom is Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While issuing the order for people of other faiths, the temple authorities cited security concerns and protection of the sanctity of the temple. “Shree Somnath Jyotirling is a pilgrimage for Hindus. Non-Hindus will have to obtain permission from general manager’s office (of the temple) to enter the sacred pilgrim-place,” says a notice at the main gate.

2. Guruvayur Temple, Kerala

This famous temple in Kerala, dedicated to Lord Krishna, allows the entry of only Hindus. It also follows a strict dress code, where men have to take off their upper garment and also wear a mundu (dhoti). Women are only allowed in sarees while girls may wear a skirt and blouse.

Singer Yesudas, a practising Christian, was once famously stopped outside the temple’s gates, and he had sung bhajans outside the temple’s walls. Guruvayur is not the only temple in Kerala to put up a sign barring the entry of non-Hindus, but not all enforce the rule as strictly as Guruvayur does.

A huge row had broken out in 2010, too, over Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s visit to Guruvayoor. The major issue was that his wife, who had also entered the temple, was a non-Hindu.

Also read: AP: Jagan's Tirumala visit may fuel tensions as NDA insists he declares his faith

3. Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha

The famed Puri Jagannath temple allows none but “orthodox Hindus” to enter the holy shrine. At least that is what the signboard hanging from its main Lion’s Gate declares.

And the temple has bent the rule for none, not even for the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, in 1984. Priests cited her marriage to a Parsi, Feroze Gandhi, to block her entry and she had done the darshan of the temple from the nearby Raghunandan Library building.

Even a foreign dignitary such as the Queen of Thailand, Mahachakri Siridharan, was barred from entry in 2005 as she was a practising Buddhist.

And in 2006, a Swiss national who had donated an eye-popping amount of Rs 1.78 crore to the temple, Elizabeth Jigler, had not been allowed into the temple either because she was a Christian.

That is not all. In 1389, the 12th-century shrine had stopped none other than Kabir, the mystic and poet, because the priests had taken him for Muslim. Guru Nanak and his Muslim disciple, Mardina, got the same treatment in 1505. However, Kabir and Nanak were allowed into the temple with full honours after the Gajapati king of Puri intervened.

4. Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Kerala

This is another temple is Kerala that strictly bars the entry of non-Hindus. While many foreigners visit the temple, they have to remain content with a peek and a few clicks from outside.

Built in the 16th century by the Travancore kings, it is said to be the richest temple in the world. Temple sources reportedly claim the treasure trove is around Rs 90,000 crore.

5. Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi, UP

One of the holiest of Shiva temples in India is the Kashi Vishwanath temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple that stands by the Ganga, though the rule is not as strictly enforced as, say, the Guruvayur temple. However, non-Hindus are strictly barred from entering the Gyan Kupor well complex to the north of the temple.

Also read: Tirupati laddu row: On 11-day penance, Pawan Kalyan takes ‘Christian’ dig at ex-TTD chiefs

6. Kapaleeswarar Temple, Tamil Nadu

Foreigners and non-Hindus are not allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of this 7th-century Shiva temple in Mylapore. Shiva is worshiped here as Kapaleeswarar and is represented by the lingam. His wife, Parvati, is worshipped as Karpagambal (“Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree” in Tamil).

7. Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Among the most revered religious and popular tourist sites in Bhubaneswar is the Lingaraj temple. As a result, both the temple trust and the Archaeological Survey of India maintain the structure. The temple receives around 6,000 visitors per day, which goes up to lakhs during festivals.

However, the temple is off-limits to non-Hindus. In 2012, there was high drama at the famed temple after a Russian tourist had been caught entering the 11th-century shrine. All rituals were stopped for four hours as the priests performed a purification ceremony.

They fined the tourist for breaking the rules and, at the same time, destroyed food worth more than Rs 50,000 that had been cooked for the deity. It was reportedly dumped in a well!

8. Kamakshi Amman Temple, Tamil Nadu

This temple in Kanchipuram is another shrine barred to non-Hindus. Dedicated to Kamakshi, a form of Goddess Parvati, the temple sanctorum houses a deity called “Adivaraha Perumal”. The Kamakshi temple has close ties with the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and the Sankarcharyas.

Also read: Palani row | Not all areas are secular, says lawyer who argued case

9. Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, Palani, Tamil Nadu

A controversy broke out earlier this year about the Madras High Court restricting the entry of all and sundry at the Palani temple. The court directed the state government to install boards at the entrance of temples, prominent locations within temple premises, and near the kodimaram (flagpole), declaring that non-Hindus were not allowed beyond the kodimaram.

The court also said that non-Hindus wishing to visit the deity must give an undertaking that he/she has faith in the deity, and would follow the customs and practices of Hinduism and of the temple.

The famed Meenakshi temple in Madurai, for instance, provides entry to foreigners for a fee of Rs 50, but restricts them to the kodimaram of the temple. The court took note of the system at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and other such temples while delivering the verdict.