Puri Jagannath Temple Dress Code and Rules for Visitors
Wear modest traditional clothing (no shorts, torn jeans or sleeveless tops), and leave your phone, umbrella, leather items and footwear outside. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. The details and sources are below.
The dress code
National news reports from October 2023 and January 2024 describe a decision of the temple administration to enforce a dress code from 1 January 2024. According to those reports, devotees wearing half pants, shorts, torn jeans, skirts and sleeveless dresses are not allowed to enter, and the administration recommended clothing such as trousers and shirt, chudidar-punjabi or dhoti for men, and saree or salwar kameez for women. The same reports describe a ban on gutkha, paan and plastic in the premises from that date.
Source: The Tribune: Puri Jagannath temple makes dress code mandatory for devotees; The Week (PTI): Jagannath Temple to discourage entry of devotees in revealing dresses, torn jeans. Checked 2 October 2026.
| Recommended | Not permitted | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Dhoti; trousers with a shirt; chudidar-punjabi | Shorts, half pants, torn jeans, sleeveless tops |
| Women | Saree; salwar kameez | Shorts, skirts, torn jeans, sleeveless tops |
We did not find the dress code itself on the temple administration's website when we checked on 2 October 2026, so the details above rely on news reporting. Follow any notice displayed at the temple.
What not to carry, and what not to do
The temple administration's list of don'ts includes:
- footwear and leather items in and around the premises;
- carrying an umbrella, mobile phone, electronic gadgets or leather items;
- carrying cooked food, or eating non-vegetarian food;
- consuming liquor or other intoxicants;
- spitting or littering, and wasting water.
Source: SJTA: Do's and Don'ts. Checked 2 October 2026.
Its darshan facilities page adds that cameras are not allowed, and that free shoe and mobile stands are provided near the barricade at the Lion's Gate.
Source: SJTA: Darshan Facilities. Checked 2 October 2026.
Who can enter
The temple administration's FAQ states: "Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple." Everyone can see the temple from outside, including the Lion Gate, the Aruna Stambha and the flag on the main tower, and can see the deities on their chariots during the Rath Yatra.
Source: SJTA: FAQs. Checked 2 October 2026.
Etiquette
The temple administration asks devotees to:
- follow the queue system;
- observe silence inside the temple;
- bathe and wear clean clothes before entering;
- deposit offerings in the hundi or at the branch office;
- keep the premises clean, and watch out for pickpockets and monkeys.
Source: SJTA: Do's and Don'ts. Checked 2 October 2026.
Photography inside the temple is not permitted.
Planning a trip to Puri?
Travel routes, dress code, what to carry, the best days to go and a sample itinerary, in one place.
Common questions
Can I wear jeans to the Jagannath Temple?
News reports on the dress code list torn jeans as not permitted. Intact full-length trousers with a shirt are among the recommended options for men. Traditional wear is safest.
Can I take my phone inside?
No. Mobile phones and electronic gadgets are on the temple administration's list of items not to carry. Free mobile stands are provided near the Lion's Gate.