Protest against shirtless tradition at Kerala’s Ayyappa Temple

Some protestors entered the temple wearing shirts

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) – A group of men protested against a long-standing tradition at the Bhagwan Ayyappa Temple in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, by entering the temple premises on 23rd March without removing their shirts. As per established tradition, male devotees must remove their shirts before entering the Ayyappa temple.

Images from the incident show several men standing in queue outside the Perunadu temple, which is managed by the Tamil Nadu Devaswom Board, offering prayers without following this dress code.

⚠️ Why Are Hindu Temple Traditions Always Under Attack?

Some protesters enter Kerala’s Ayyappa Temple wearing shirts, defying the sacred tradition!

Who is behind this? Why is it always so-called progressives, secularists & atheists targeting Hindu customs? Would they dare to do… pic.twitter.com/nSW8MxWAzS

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) March 25, 2025

The protest remained peaceful, as neither the Police nor the temple administration intervened.

The protestors demanded that the tradition of requiring men to remove their shirts before temple entry should be permanently abolished.

A Police officer stated, “The protest was non-violent. The temple administration had already clarified that it has no objection if anyone enters wearing a shirt. However, devotees continue to follow the tradition voluntarily.”

Editorial Perspective

Is the opposition to temple traditions being fuelled by pseudo-progressives, secularists and atheists ? This needs deeper scrutiny. When such acts target Hindu religious customs, it amounts to an assault on Dharma and must be investigated.